Box Up All The Butterflies
by andpaperflowers
Summary: After Brooke breaks up with Lucas in season 4. Brooke has a deadly secret, and when those she cares about find out, she can't hide from it anymore. Will she ever let Lucas love her again? Brucas, Naley.
1. Chapter 1

Lucas Scott was perfectly aware of the fact that he had screwed up, perhaps beyond repair. Two nights ago, his girlfriend Brooke Davis had broken up with him in a way that left him dizzy. She had stopped missing him, in her words. But he knew Brooke. And he knew that there had to be something more behind her words that he was missing. He also knew that saying "I'm sorry" had not been the proper choice of words on his part.

Sitting at the Rivercourt, he contemplated the events of his relationship with Brooke, and could pinpoint several moments where he had most definitely made mistakes. Given, he could also pinpoint a few mistakes on her part as well.

His cell phone suddenly vibrated next to him, breaking him out of his brooding thoughts, and he saw that it was his best friend Haley. Flipping open the phone, he answered warmly.

"Hey Hales."

"Lucas," she said, her voice sounding panicked. "It's Brooke. She's in the hospital."

He leapt from the bench he sat on, the energy suddenly filling his bones. "What? What happened to her?"

"I'm not sure. I was here with Nathan, and I went outside to get fresh air. She came out of an ambulance, Luke, and she didn't look good. They won't let me see her, and I don't know what happened..." Haley was crying now, falling to pieces on the phone.

"I'll be right there," Lucas said. "Just...hang in there. And call my mom."

Lucas grabbed his keys out of the pocket of his sweatshirt, dashing to his car in only a few strides. Driving well over the speed limit, he wondered what on earth could have happened to Brooke. Was she in an accident? That seemed the only logical explanation. Brooke hadn't been sick. He wondered who had called the ambulance for her. Or had she called it for herself? Last he had heard, she was living with her former enemy Rachel. Should he call the redhead? No, he decided. He wouldn't. He would just wait until he got to the hospital to figure out what happened.

When he arrived, Haley was pacing the waiting room, holding herself tightly. "Luke!"

"Did you talk to my mom?"

"Yes, she's on her way."

"Okay. She can probably help with this. I'm sure she can."

"Okay," Haley whispered, sitting down. "I'm scared, Luke. It's all falling apart. Everything, I mean. Nathan's still in the hospital. Brooke is, too. But she needs to be okay. She's the only one, out of all of us, who hasn't been in this hospital in the past two years."

"I know," Lucas sighed. He had always wondered how Brooke managed to avoid the brunt of every car accident, every school shooting, every major issue. He had considered her untouchable. She was Brooke Davis. Beautiful, confident, wealthy. There was nothing that could harm her. Besides him.

A doctor, with blood smeared on his scrubs, appeared in the waiting room. "Are there any family members of Brooke Davis here?"

Haley suddenly stood confidently. "I'm her cousin Beth. Her parents are too far, so they called me."

Lucas looked at her in surprise for a second, before rolling with it. "And I'm her boyfriend."

It was Haley's turn to look at him in shock. She was fully aware of what had happened between her two best friends. Shrugging it off, Haley and Lucas followed the doctor.

"Miss Davis is not doing well," the doctor warned. "An overdose of this amount is generally life threatening. Which is, of course, the intent."

"Overdose?" Lucas repeated numbly.

"Yes. Miss Davis took a lethal dose of anti-anxiety medication. She also lacerated her wrists, but we were able to stop the bleeding and give her a transfusion."

"I don't....I don't understand," Haley stuttered. Her big brown eyes were rapidly filling with tears. "Brooke has been fine."

"We often see this in our terminally ill patients," the doctor said calmly. "After being given a bleak prognosis, they often do not see a point in putting up a fight."

"Prognosis?" Haley questioned.

The doctor looked surprised for a moment. "She must have not told you. Miss Davis was diagnosed with lymphoma three weeks ago."

Haley gasped, holding a hand over her mouth. "My tigger," she breathed.

Lucas blinked, his brain seeming to cease action. She had been diagnosed with cancer, while he was kissing Peyton during a school shooting. Maybe this is what she had meant when she asked him to save her. And of course, he had been so wrapped up in rescuing Peyton that he hadn't even noticed that his pretty girl was falling apart.

"Can we see her?" Lucas asked, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Yes," the doctor said. "She's sleeping, and she may be groggy when she wakes up. Of course, we're going to have to put her on psychiatric hold."

"No," Haley said immediately. "She can come live with me. And do outpatient therapy."

"Well, she'll have to be on hold here for forty eight hours, but after that, she should be fine to go live with you."

Haley grabbed onto Lucas's arm as the doctor led the way into Brooke's room. Tears were streaming silently down Haley's face, and Lucas was trying his best not to cry. Brooke Davis was happy, and bubbly, and cheery. Brooke Davis would never try to kill herself. How could she? When she knew how many people loved her...

She was laying in the bed, her dark hair sprawled around her pale face on the pillow. She looked peaceful, as if she was only resting, and Lucas wished more than anything that it was true. He and Haley sat in chairs next to her bed. Haley instantly grabbed her hand, staring blankly at the gauze bandages around her best friend's wrists.

"How could we not notice?" Haley cried. "How could we not have known that she was falling apart?"

"I don't know," Lucas whispered. He put his head in his hands, thinking back on every moment he spent with her over the past three weeks. She had tried to tell him, he realized. She had tried to tell him several times.

"Brooke," Haley cried, but did not continue.

Just then, Karen came flying into the room. "Good lord, Lucas, what happened?"

"Mom," Lucas cried, standing up and finally crying as his mother took him into her arms. "She, she tried to kill herself mom. She has lymphoma and she tried to kill herself."

He began to sob, and Karen instantly felt warm tears coming down her face. Over her son's shoulder, she looked at the broken doll of a girl who she had long considered a major part of her life.

"Oh, Brooke," Karen whispered.

Just then, Brooke's eyelids began to flutter.

"Haley?" she croaked. Haley gasped and instantly grabbed her in a hug, and Karen watched as Brooke's eyes remained empty, her arms unmoving, gazing straight ahead at the blank wall in front of her.

"Brooke," Haley cried. "Brooke, I love you. You're my best friend. I need you. You should have told me, Tigger. The doctor told us, about the lymphoma. You should have said something."

"I'm sorry," Brooke said, and finally, Karen watched as tears of emotion filled her eyes. "I'm so sorry. I just...I felt so alone. I felt like I had nobody, and I'm so scared of what's going to happen to me."

"You should have come to us," Karen said softly, approaching the bed. "We love you, Brooke, and we're going to get you through this okay, sweetie? It's all going to be all right."

"I'm sorry," Brooke repeated, sobbing. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Brookie," Karen soothed, stroking her hair. "We're going to make it all right, okay? It's all going to be okay."

Lucas watched as Brooke's eyes met his, and she closed them, turning away.

"Pretty girl," he choked. "You should have told me. I could have helped you."

"Don't," she sobbed. "I'm not Peyton! I don't need you to save me! Go back to your Barbie, Lucas."

"Lucas, maybe you should leave," Haley said tentatively.

"No," Luke said firmly. "Brooke, you told me once you wanted me to fight for you. So that's what I'm doing. I'm not leaving you. I'm not giving up on you."

"You gave up on me the second you kissed Peyton," Brooke whispered, voice full of pain.

"You what?" Haley said, her voice full of surprise.

"Brooke..."

"No, Lucas. Please, just...please just go."

"No," Lucas said firmly. "Brooke, please. Let me be here for you. I can prove to you that I love you, Brooke. I miss you."

Brooke blinked up at him. "This is too much for me right now, Lucas. Not now, please."

"Lucas," his mother said warningly. He turned on his heel and left, walking only a few feet down the hallway before sliding down the wall and putting his head in his hands. What was he supposed to do now?


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to everybody who reviewed! It definitely inspired me to finish this sooner! And as for where Rachel is, this story takes place almost right after Brooke and Lucas's breakup...therefore, Brooke and Rachel aren't quite best friends yet. Rachel is still in the hospital after the accident. **

The next morning, Lucas arrived at the hospital slightly more composed, a bouquet of yellow roses in his hand. He could only hope that she would receive him better this time. He approached the front desk, where a redheaded woman was seated, giving approved visitors passes.

"I'm here to see Brooke Davis," he said.

"Brooke Davis," the woman repeated, typing the name into the computer. "Ah, yes. Psychiatric ward, level four. You'll need to push the red button when you reach the white doors. Someone will come and let you in."

Lucas was slightly surprised at her location, but tried to disguise it. "Oh, okay. Thank you." She handed him a sticker with his destination printed on it, which he stuck to his chest.

He got in the elevator and made his way up to the fourth floor of the hospital. When he reached it, he wandered down until he found a pair of imposing white doors. Nervously pressing the white button, he waited until a broad woman in green scrubs opened them with an access code. She looked at his visitor's sticker and beckoned for him to enter.

"I'm here for Brooke Davis?" he said uncertainly.

The woman nodded. "Follow me."

He followed her into a room with a few small couches, a tiny television, and a large desk that overlooked it all. There were several dazed looking teenagers sitting in various places, but Brooke was nowhere to be seen.

"Miss Davis is in here," the woman said, leading the way to a smaller room off of the main room. She was sitting on a twin bed, her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. He resisted the urge to wince as he saw the gauze still wrapped around her small wrists.

"Hey Brooke," he said weakly. She glanced up from what she was staring at. She didn't really acknowledge him, going back to staring at whatever was laying in front of her bare feet. Lucas approached her. He saw that the picture was from the end of summer, when he and Brooke had been nonexclusive. They were kissing at the beach, and she had snapped it with her cell phone picture. He loved that picture.

"I like to look at this," she said suddenly, her voice sounding far away. "It reminds me that things weren't always so shitty."

"Things aren't shitty, Brooke," was his immediate response. Her hazel eyes snapped to him, narrowing into a glare.

"I'm dying, Lucas," she growled. "That might not suck for you, but it sure as hell sucks for me."

"Brooke, I didn't mean.."

"As if you ever do."

"Brooke..."

"Why are you here, Lucas?"

"Because, I want to be here for you," he begged. "Please, Brooke. We can try getting you treatment. Maybe you can get better. Don't write yourself off yet."

Brooke shook her head. "There isn't that much they can do for me, Luke."

"There has to be something."

"I'm scared to do it," Brooke said after almost a minute of silence.

"Scared to do what?"

"To have chemo," Brooke explained. "Ya know, all I really am is a pretty face. With no hair, being so tired, being so worn out...I wouldn't be that anymore. I don't think I would be able to cheer. And then, if I were to die anyway...I wouldn't be able to die pretty."

"You'll always be beautiful, Brooke," Lucas said, approaching the bed where she sat. "And you know that you're more than just pretty. You're smart, and funny. You're loyal and fun. You've kept our friends together with your spirit alone. Without you, we'll all fall apart."

Brooke shook her head. "You all think you need me, but you really don't."

"Yes, we do. Especially me," Lucas said. He sat beside her, and was relieved when she didn't move away from him. "I lost Keith, the only father I ever had. Don't make me lose you, too."

"You already lost me," she croaked out, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.

"Don't say that," Lucas said, his voice full of pain. "I know that I haven't yet."

"We're done, Lucas. It's over," Brooke said, swallowing hard. "I'm sick. I'm going to die."

"Stop it!" he exclaimed, grabbing her around the shoulders and turning her to face him. "You are not going to die. And we are not over, Brooke Davis. Because I'm the guy for you, and I thought you had realized that."

"I don't deny that you're the guy for me," Brooke said, "but I'm not the girl for you, Luke. And we both know it."

"Yes, you are," Lucas argued.

"I'm tired, Lucas," Brooke said. "And I don't want to keep fighting this way. It's exhausting."

"Just...can you just let me be here for you? Even just as your friend. I need to be here for you," Lucas said. She hesitated for a moment, before nodding. "Will you at least try treatment, Brooke? Just try."

"I...I'll think about it," she said. "For now, I just...I want to rest."

"That's all right. Take some time to think about it," he said gently. He slowly took her into his arms and released the breath he felt he had been holding forever. It felt amazing to have Brooke in his arms again. She meant everything to him, and he wished more than anything that she would see that. He wished more than anything that she would just let him all the way in, because he was finally ready to do the same for her. He smiled as she nuzzled into his neck.

"Lucas?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't give up on me quite yet," she murmured. He smiled.

"Never, pretty girl. Never."

He watched her fall asleep, a smile on his face. She looked so peaceful, so content. It looked as if nothing could hurt her. He knew that this was just the beginning to a long haul. But at least he knew that he was going to be a part of it, that he could try and save her like he had promised. He had been stupid enough to let her break up with him, but he wouldn't be stupid enough to watch her get away again. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, and began talking quietly to her.

"I guess I have to say this while you're asleep, cause I know you won't let me when you're awake. I really do love you, Brooke Davis, and I know that I'm the guy for you. I know I've hurt you so many times before, but I want to be with you and only you. Not Peyton. I could never love her like I love you. You're everything I ever dreamed of having in my life, Brooke. I just...I want to be able to have the chance to love you forever. But I can't do that if you don't fight."

"Luke?" Haley's quite voice interuppted him. She was standing before him, a sticker that matched Lucas's on her shirt.

"Hey Hales," he whispered, indicating with a nod of his head that Brooke was asleep.

"How is she?"

"I think I had a breakthrough with her," Lucas said proudly. "She agreed to try chemo."

"Lucas, that's great!" Haley excitedly whispered. "I came up to tell you that Nathan is doing better, and he should be able to go home soon."

"I'm gonna go see him once I'm done with Brooke," Lucas said, feeling slightly guilty that he had yet to actually visit his younger brother since Brooke was brought in days ago.

"He'll be happy to see you," Haley said with a smile. "So I stopped by Rachel's today, to grab some of Brooke's things..."

"And?"

"And she seems to have skipped town," Haley said, her voice completely void of any kind of sadness at this thought. "I started packing Brooke's things, because she'll be out of here tomorrow morning. She can come stay with me and Nathan."

"Hales, are you sure you can handle caring for both of them?" Lucas asked. "That's taking on a lot."

"Brooke can't be on her own right now," Haley said with a shrug. "I'm sure I can handle it."

"You know, I'm sure my mom would be okay with Brooke staying with us."

"But would Brooke be okay with that?" she asked.

The brunette girl in Lucas's arms began to stir. "Haley?" she croaked.

"Hey, Tig," Haley said with a smile. "So you get busted out tomorrow."

"Yeah," Brooke yawned, still unaware of her position with Lucas.

"Nathan does, too. I already got your stuff from Rachel's, so you can come stay with us."

"But," Lucas interuppted, "I was telling Haley that you could also come stay with me and my mom."

Brooke suddenly turned in alarm at her proximity with Lucas, but she could not deny that staying with Karen and Lucas was appealing. She knew that, without a parental figure, she really did not stand a chance against cancer.

_Cancer. _She hated that word. She thought of the advertisement she had made against breast cancer, and wondered if maybe lymphoma was now targeting her like some kind of enemy to its cause.

"Brooke?" Lucas asked slowly. She was shaken from her thoughts with a jolt.

"Oh. Um. Yeah, I think I'd like to stay with Karen," Brooke said softly. "I mean, I'm sorry Hales, it's just..."

"It's fine, babe," Haley said, giving her friend's hand a little squeeze.

Brooke began to cough excessively, much to the horror of both Lucas and Haley. They both began to try and soothe her, Haley jumping up to get a cup of water from the tray in the corner. Luke gently patted her back, hoping to help.

A wheezing, gasping Brooke fell into Luke's arms after a good three straight minutes of violent coughing. He stroked her chocolate locks, planting a gentle kiss on the top of her head. To his surprise, she simply held the hand that was wrapped around her body, clutching it to her posessively.

"Should I go get a nurse?" Haley asked nervously.

"No," Brooke panted. "This happens."

"Why does that happen?" Lucas asked gently.

"My immune system is basically shit," Brooke explained tiredly. "So I get coughing spells and stuff."

"Okay, pretty girl," he soothed. "You should take another nap.

"Okay," she whispered, already beginning to fall asleep.

Haley watched from the doorway, nervously playing with her hands, but a small smile spread its way across her lips. She had been rooting for Lucas and Brooke for a long time now, and she was glad to see that maybe there was a little bit of beauty from this tragedy.


	3. Chapter 3

"So Lucas, you'll be on the couch. Brooke will have your room," Karen said to the teens the next day as she lead them into the house. Brooke had been discharged less than an hour before, and was now moving in with Karen and Lucas once again.

"Oh, no, I can sleep on the couch," Brooke protested. "Honestly, I'll be just fine."

"No, Brooke," Lucas said firmly. "You take my room."

"Okay," she said reluctantly. "How about we switch off?"

"No, Brooke," Lucas said with a laugh.

"Fine," she grumbled.

Lucas couldn't help but smile at the way she seemed to be recovering already. Just that morning, she had agreed finally to chemo. The next day, she was going to be meeting with a doctor at the hospital to discuss the plan. Lucas couldn't be happier with the way things were panning out. And although they had yet to discuss the nature of their relationship, he was at least close enough to her now that he didn't feel a need to pressure her.

"Hales and I already set up your stuff," Lucas said, leading the way to his room, where a small purple monkey lay on his bed. Brooke gasped with a smile.

"Monkey!" she squealed, jumping onto the bed and grabbing it in her arms. She held it tightly with a huge, beaming grin. Lucas couldn't help but return the smile.

"Haley found it," he explained. "She said you had mentioned it before."

"This monkey has gotten me through some tough times," Brooke said reminiscently. Her face fell suddenly. "I guess I'm gonna need him now, huh?"

"You'll have more than just a stuffed monkey to get you through this, Brooke."

She looked up at him with a sad smile. "I know. Thanks, Broody."

"Anything for you, Cheery."

"Hey, Luke?" she asked as he turned to leave.

"Yeah?"

"I know you have school tomorrow, but I was wondering if you could come with me to the doctor. I just...I don't want to go alone."

"Of course, Brooke," Lucas said. "Thank you for letting me be here for you, Brooke. I know it isn't easy, but-"

He was cut off by his door swinging open. "So I brought you that CD we were talking about," Peyton Sawyer said excitedly before halting, her mouth slightly open. "Oh."

"Peyton," Brooke said calmly, the smile that had been on her face completely gone now.

"Wow, what the hell happened to you?" Peyton asked, her voice showing no sympathy. "You look like shit."

"Peyton," Lucas warned slowly.

"Sorry. I didn't realize you two were already doing it again," Peyton said harshly. She shook her blonde curls out of her face with a glare at Brooke. "Once a whore, always a whore, right Brookie?"

Brooke stood up and brushed past Peyton wordlessly, calling out to Karen. "Do you need any help with dinner?"

"Look, Peyton," Lucas said after watching the brunette leave. "I don't know what happened between you and Brooke, but you can't just come into my house and act like that toward her."

"Well sorry," Peyton said, her voice full of insincerity. "I didn't realize that you and Brooke were back on. After she dumped you with some bullshit excuse."

"Peyton," Lucas said, his patience beginning to wear thin. "You really don't know what's been going on here."

"And you don't know how much I've needed you the past few days," she said, her eyes beginning to fill with tears. "But you've been completely unreachable."

"I've had other things to deal with, Peyton," Lucas groaned.

"Nothing has ever been more important than us, Luke."

"Us?" Lucas asked in confusion.

"Yes, Lucas," Peyton sighed in exasperation. "Don't you get it yet?"

"Obviously not," Lucas said, running a hand through his hair.

"Brooke saw what everyone else did. That you and I are meant to be together. That's why she broke up with you, Lucas."

"Or because my backstabbing best friend told me she was in love with my boyfriend. Again," Brooke said scathingly from the doorway. Her arms were crossed over her chest defensively as she leaned against the doorframe for physical support.

Lucas spluttered, slowly sitting on the edge of his bed. "Excuse me?" he hissed.

Brooke sighed in exhaustion. "I shouldn't have said that." She placed a hand over her face tiredly.

Peyton looked between the two of them before squaring her shoulders with resolve. "Yeah. I told her that I still love you. That kiss in the library...I meant it, Luke. I meant it when I said I loved you."

"Peyton," Lucas began, before shaking his head. "No. No, this is not happening. You did not come between us _again." _

"Brooke knew that it was only a matter of time," Peyton said, attempting to defend herself. "Even she knew that your relationship was just a distraction."

"Peyton," Lucas growled.

"I mean, you and I, we have everything in common. And Brooke, Brooke was just the cheer slut who was perfect for a distraction while I was with Jake."

"Peyton," Lucas warned once again.

"Brooke knew, so she stepped aside. For me. For us, Luke! We can be together now," Peyton said excitedly. "Don't you see that?"

"No," Lucas growled. "No, Peyton. You knew how vulnerable Brooke felt about us. You knew how hard it was for her to forgive us both the first time, and you went and did that, knowing full well that the only damn thing Brooke has ever wanted is to make _you _happy. Because Brooke has always _loved _you. More than me, more than _herself!" _

"Luke," Brooke said quietly from the door.

"And you, you just...you knew she would walk away from me. You knew it, because we all know just how selfless Brooke Davis is."

"Luke," Brooke said, louder this time.

"How could you do that, Peyton? I mean, all this time, I thought you were just as loyal to Brooke as she is to you, when it came down to it."

"Lucas!" Brooke shouted as Peyton began to cry, tears streaming down her face as she began to pant in panic. Brooke stood in between the two blondes. "Stop it."

"And now you're _defending _her, Brooke? After what she did to you? To us?"

"It wasn't all Peyton, Lucas!" Brooke cried out, her eyes also beginning to fill with tears. "Of course, her confession pushed me over the edge. But I'm sick, Luke. And you just lost Keith. You've been a mess. Peyton has too, after the shooting and everything else. She needs you, and you need someone like her, who knows what it's like to lose someone. But you don't need me, not someone who might make you lose yet another person in a matter of months."

"Brooke, what are you talking about?" Peyton whimpered from behind her. "What do you mean, you're sick?"

Brooke sighed and ran her hands through her dark hair. "Peyton, I guess I have something to tell you."

"Obviously," Peyton sniffled.

"I have lymphoma, Peyton. I just got out of the hospital after trying to kill myself," she said monotonously. "And if you'd like my suicide note, there's one addressed to you."

Peyton gasped, a pale hand flying up to her mouth. "Brooke..."

"Don't," Brooke snapped. "I don't need your pity, or your apologies. And I especially don't want you to pick now to decide that our friendship is more important than Lucas."

"If I'd have known-"

"It shouldn't have mattered if you knew or not," Brooke said tearfully. "Now if you'll both excuse me, I need to go."

With that, Brooke flew from the room, the slamming door leaving a disquieting silence between the sparring blondes.

"Luke, I really am sorry," Peyton whispered through her new wave of tears. "I didn't know, I really didn't."

Lucas sat on his bed, his face in his hands once again. "Even without knowing, Peyton, you shouldn't have told her that. You knew she would break up with me, didn't you?"

"Well...yeah, I guess I did."

"And when I came to you, so upset, you told me you had no idea why she would do that. You pretended it was all okay."

"I expected you to want me then," Peyton whimpered.

"What made you think that?" Lucas said, standing. "Please, I need to know. Because I'm sure whatever your reasons are, are the same reasons Brooke felt that way too."

"Because you ran into the school after me. Because you were there for me after Ellie, and you're just always saving me. From all kinds of things, you know? It doesn't matter what you're doing or who you're with. Even Brooke, you'll even leave her if I need you."

Lucas paused in his retaliation. "Oh God," he sighed. "Look, I've got to go find her."

Peyton wiped the tears from her face and adopted a brave smile. "I know. I'm sorry, Lucas. I might never be able to get her to forgive me, but I hope you can eventually."

"Maybe, Peyton," Lucas said unconvincingly. "I think you need to figure out what you really want."

"Yeah, I guess I do. And you do, too."

"I already know what I want, Peyton. And she ran out that door a few minutes ago."

Peyton shrugged sadly. "Then go get her, Luke. What are you waiting for?"

"I guess, I'm just waiting for you to be okay with this."

"I am okay with it. You had a chance to really make your choice, and you are. You know who you want. And yeah, it hurts like hell that it isn't me. But, at least I gave it a shot."

Lucas turned to go after Brooke, but couldn't help turning back to Peyton. "Was it worth it? Was giving it a shot worth losing Brooke?"

Peyton bit her lip and looked at the floor. "No, not even close."

"She'll come around, eventually."

"Eventually," Peyton said. "Now go."

And with that, she watched him go after the brunette girl that they both loved. She smiled a little bit, looking at Brooke's things lying about Lucas's room as if they had always belonged there.

Maybe she had messed up. Maybe things would never be the same. But she could try her hardest to make things okay again.


	4. Chapter 4

A sudden knock alarmed Haley, who got up from her comfortable place huddled on the couch with Nathan to get the door.

"Brooke?" she asked in confusion. The brunette girl was sobbing on the doorstep of the apartment that they had once shared together. "Sweetie, come in! Jesus, what happened to you?"

"Hales? Is that Brooke?" Nathan asked, getting up shakily.

"Sit down, babe," she told him, helping Brooke inside. "Come on, honey, come sit with me and Nate."

"Lucas...and, and...and Peyton..." Brooke tried to explain through her sobs.

Haley helped her sit down next to Nathan, before taking the other seat beside her. Nathan put a comforting arm around the brunette girl he had grown to love like a younger sister.

"What did they do, B?" he asked.

"Peyton came," Brooke said, beginning to breathe deeply between her words. "She came to Luke's, and she started saying how she and Luke were meant to be together. She...she said I was just...just a cheer slut distraction," she said, beginning to wail once again.

"Tigger, you know that isn't true," Haley said, stroking her friend's dark locks.

"And she told Lucas, the real reason I broke up with him," Brooke sobbed. "She told me at your rehearsal dinner that she was still in love with Lucas. And I had just been diagnosed that day, and I...I...I was so scared."

"Brooke," Nathan said firmly. "You need to calm down. It's not good for you."

"I'm sorry," Brooke whimpered. Nathan chuckled affectionately.

"Hales, can you make her some hot chocolate?" he asked his wife. "I've got her."

He pulled the damaged girl into his arms and let her cry against his chest for a while. "You'll be okay, Brooke. It's gonna be okay."

"I left before I got to see what happened," she cried. "What if he's with her now?"

"I bet you he isn't," Nathan said. "He doesn't love Peyton, Brooke. He loves you."

"How do you know that?"

"Because, he looks at you like you're the most important thing in the world."

"Really?"

"Really. He came to visit me yesterday, after he left you. He was so worried, Brookie. He just wants you to be okay."

"I'm scared, Nate."

"Scared of what? Giving him a second chance?"

"Giving him a second chance and then dying," Brooke sniffled. "He deserves someone who will be around for a while. Peyton can give him that."

"And so could you."

"I guess so," Brooke sighed. "I just, I don't want the uncertainty."

"Brooke, if you keep trying to look for reasons to die, you'll find a lot of them. But if you take a second to look for reasons to live, you'll find a lot more," Nathan said, giving her a chaste kiss on the top of her head. Haley entered with a mug of hot chocolate, complete with whipped cream and marshmallows.

"He's right, honey," Haley said, hanging her friend the mug. She watched a shy smile spread across the brunette's lips.

"You remembered that I like both," Brooke said, looking at Haley gratefully.

"Of course I did," Haley said, giving her friend a gentle hug.

Brooke took a contented sip and heaved a calming sigh. "Hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows is definitely on my list of reasons to live."

Haley suddenly leapt up, grabbing a notebook and a purple pen off of the desk in front of her. "Come on. We're making a list."

Brooke giggled. "Seriously?"

"Yes! Now come on, both of you, start naming the best things in life for Brooke Davis."

After an hour of giggling, heartfelt tears, and several more mugs of hot chocolate with both whipped cream and marshmallows, Haley, Nathan, and Brooke had compiled quite a list.

**Reasons to Live **

**Hot chocolate with marshmallows and whipped cream. **

**Graduating with all of my friends. **

**Becoming a fashion designer. **

**Cheering at the state championship **

**Shopping! **

**Vanilla coke **

**The color red **

**Reading Luke's stupid books while he's asleep **

**Karen's cooking**

**Haley James-Scott**

**Nathan Scott**

**Mouth McFadden**

**Rachel Gattina (even if the bitch did abandon me) **

**Peyton Sawyer (even if she is a backstabbing, two-faced bitch. At least she knows it now) **

**Whitey **

**The beach **

**The beach even when it isn't summertime **

**Traveling to all the places I haven't been yet **

**Taking a cross country road trip with my best friends**

**Getting to corrupt any future children of Tutorwife and Hotshot **

**Lucas Scott **

Just as Brooke read off number 21 on her list, the door swung open, revealing none other than Lucas himself.

"Luke," Brooke said, surprised. She stood, fixing her rumpled t-shirt and shooting him a nervous smile.

"Brooke," he croaked. He took several long strides to her, and grabbed her in his arms. "Brooke, you cannot just run off like that, okay? I looked everywhere for you."

"I'm not a doll, Lucas," Brooke said, her fiesty spirit returning to her.

"No, but you are sick, and you can't just get up and leave whenever you'd like. You didn't even take your car."

Brooke huffed, flipping her hair behind her. "I can do whatever I want to do, Lucas Eugene Scott!"

"No, Brooke Penelope Davis, you cannot!" Lucas shouted. Brooke recoiled in surprise. "You might think you're the only one hurt by Peyton's little stunt, but you're not! You lied to me, Brooke! You lied to me when you broke up with me, and you weren't ever going to tell me! What, did I not mean enough to you for you to tell me the truth? Do I not count enough for you?" he yelled.

Brooke took a couple of steps back. "Luke, please don't yell at me."

"You can't just expect me to never talk about this, Brooke!" Lucas continued to shout. "I spent so much time loving you, so much time winning you back even through that nonexclusive bullshit, and you just throw it away because you're afraid I'm gonna run off with your best friend? I thought you were past all that shit. I thought you were over it. I thought you grew up, Brooke Davis, but I guess I was wrong!"

"Lucas," Brooke protested weakly. "Please..."

"No. You know what, maybe Peyton was right. Maybe I never should have gotten involved with the stupid cheer slut. You don't even know what love is like, do you? Because not one damn person has ever loved you!"

"LUCAS!" Nathan yelled, standing angrily on his still weak legs. "Get out of my house."

"No, not until she hears me out."

Brooke was crying now, holding onto an endtable for support. "Can't you see what you've done to her, Lucas? Leave!" Haley shouted.

"Stop! Stop! STOP!" Brooke sobbed, collapsing to her knees. Lucas's blue eyes widened in alarm at what he had done.

"Brooke," Lucas said gently. "Brooke, baby, I didn't mean that. Breathe, Cheery, just breathe."

She hiccupped in a panic, her entire body trembling. "She's having a panic attack," Haley recognized. "God damn it, Luke, get away from her."

"No," he protested. "Brooke, come here."

He held her to him, and in her panic she was too weak to push him away. "I didn't mean those things, Brooke. I was just hurt and scared. Please, babe, don't cry."

Her cries became quieter, and her breathes slower. "Luke?"

"Yeah, pretty girl?"

"Get away from me."


	5. Chapter 5

All progress he had made since she had landed herself in the hospital just three days ago seemed to have flown out the window. So, early the next morning, he knocked at the apartment of Haley and Nathan. He kept knocking until a weak looking Nathan answered the door.

"Nate, I need to talk to Brooke," Lucas pleaded.

"She isn't here," Nathan said, his voice harsh.

"Where is she?"

"Haley took her to meet with the doctor for her chemo," Nathan explained coldly. "She said that you were going to take her originally, but she decided she didn't want someone who thought she was a stupid slut to be anywhere near her."

"You know I didn't mean that," Lucas said in frustration. "I was just angry from finding out that she had lied to me."

"That didn't give you a right to say that," Nathan replied.

"I know that, man," Lucas sighed. "Can I please just stay here until they get back? Please?"

Nathan looked at his brother with great scrutiny before reluctantly nodding. "I guess you can, but only because I really don't think you meant it."

"Thanks, bro."

Meanwhile, across town, Haley sat beside an extremely nervous Brooke, who was clutching her friend's hand for dear life. The door to the exam room swung open to reveal a very young, very attractive doctor, who preceded to talk in a very, very attractive accent.

"Hello Miss Davis, I'm Dr. Travis Grant," the Australian said.

"Well hello there," Brooke purred. The doctor laughed at the charming girl before him.

"So you want to discuss your options?"

"Yeah," Brooke replied. 'Ya know, other than dying miserable and alone."

"A pretty girl like you certainly won't die alone," he said with a wink. Haley nudged her friend to keep her from saying anything too outrageous.

"Tell that to Lucas," Brooke mumbled. "Anyway, what exactly would chemo be like?"

"It would be a rough process," the doctor admitted. "You would come in two times a week for a month. Then we take it from there, depending. The first few sessions in particular will be very hard. But, if you go through with the treatment, you stand a very good chance of making it through this."

Brooke swallowed hard. "Cheerleading wouldn't be an option?"

The doctor considered this for a moment. "Excessively, no. But, if you were to take it easy and not over exert yourself, just stick to basic cheering, no gymnastics or anything, I don't see how it could be a serious problem."

Brooke began to lighten up. "My hair. How early on would I lose my hair."

The doctor looked at her. "That can begin at anytime. But they really make fabulous wigs these days, and no one would even have to know that you were losing your hair."

"Really?"

"Really, Miss Davis," he said gently. "I really do think you should consider this treatment."

"Count me in," Brooke said, putting on her bravest face. Haley squeezed her hand with pride. "When do I start?"

"Now is as good a time as ever, don't you think?"

"Now?"

"The sooner we start, the better shot we have at stopping this," Dr. Grant said reassuringly.

"Well then," Brooke said with a nervous chuckle. "I suppose we can start now. Hales?"

"Yeah, Tigger?"

"You can go home, if you want. Or to school. I know you've missed a lot, with the accident and everything."

"There's nowhere I'd rather be, Brooke."

"Thanks," the brunette whispered. "I'm scared."

The doctor smiled at the two friends before beginning to prep the private room for chemotherapy.

"I'll be right here with you, honey," Haley said, giving her best friend a hug. "And hey, can I tell you something? Something that's a really big secret?"

"Of course."

"Maybe some good news will keep your mind off of this," Haley said nervously. A slow, uncertain smile edging its way across her features. "I'm pregnant."

"What?!" Brooke squealed. "Does Nate know?"

"Not yet," Haley admitted. "I'm scared of how he'll take it."

"He'll be thrilled, Hales," Brooke said, hugging her friend in excitement. "He loves you. Oh my God, I can't believe you're gonna have a little Naley baby!"

"Me either," Haley laughed. "I'm really glad you're happy for me, Brookie."

"Of course I am," Brooke said, a grin widely spread across her features. "Promise me if I make it through this, I get to be the godmother."

"Of course you do," Haley said. "He'll be born right after your treatment is over, if I did the math right."

"You already know it's a boy?"

"Well, no, but I have a feeling," Haley grinned.

Brooke let out a small squeal of excitement before becoming somber at the sight of the doctor setting up a bag of some kind of radio-active material on the IV rack.

"I'm going to go call Nathan really fast, okay? Just to let him know we'll be awhile."

"Okay, tutormom. Don't be long!"

"I won't," Haley laughed, stepping out into the hall. She quickly dialed her husband, who answered on the first ring.

"Hey babe, how'd it go?"

"She agreed to it," Haley said. "They're actually gonna start her right now, so I'm gonna stay with her. We won't be home for a few hours. They might even keep her overnight, if she reacts badly."

Haley could hear another inquisitive voice on the other end of the phone. "Who's with you?" she asked.

"Luke," her husband admitted. "And he wants to know if he can come."

"No, he can't!" Haley snapped. "She's already scared enough, without him yelling at her again!"

She heard her husband heave a sigh. "Okay, well, he wants you to bring her back to his house when it's over, so that Karen can take care of her."

"I can do it," Haley once again snapped.

"Haley, we live in a one bedroom apartment. Even I agree that Karen is more well equipped."

"Fine," Haley conceded. "But tell him I don't want him talking to her until she's ready for it."

"Okay, babe," Nathan said. "I love you."

"Love you too," Haley said, hanging up the phone. She went back into the room, where they were putting the IV into Brooke's arm.

"This can't be that bad, right?" her friend said nervously. "I mean, it's just stuff in my blood. I put all kinds of things in my blood."

Haley raised an eyebrow. "Oh do you now?"

"I don't know what I'm saying anymore," Brooke sighed.

"You'll be just fine. When this is over, I'm going to take you back to Karen's. She'll take good care of you."

"Will Luke be there?" Brooke said nervously.

"Yes, but he won't talk to you."

"I want him to. I want to work this out. Whatever it is. I mean, we only broke up like a week ago. I think...I almost think there's still time for us."

"Is that what you want, Tigger?"

"It's always what I've wanted, Tutor Girl," Brooke said with a soft smile.

"Then go for it," Haley said, giving her hand a squeeze.

"I just might," Brooke said, and Haley almost wanted to take a picture of this moment. Brooke Davis, hooked up to a chemotherapy machine, with a mischevious, sultry, flirty little grin on her beautiful features. This is how Haley would always remember Brooke Davis, come what may.


	6. Chapter 6

Brooke Davis was relatively certain that she was going to die. She had been kneeling on the floor of Lucas Scott's bathroom for over two hours now, heaving all of the contents of her stomach into the toilet. Her knees hurt, and so did her arm from holding back her own hair. She had demanded that her friends go to school that day; they had already all missed a week or more, either for her or Nathan. Nathan had also insisted the same, but she was now regretting this decision. She could really use Haley right about now.

Brooke had yet to talk to Lucas since the big blowout in Naley's apartment, and she knew that she probably shouldn't have been so stand off-ish when Haley had taken her to Lucas's house last night. She had just been so tired, and felt so utterly sick, that the thought of having a conversation was repulsive.

She glanced through watery eyes at the clock through the door that lead to Lucas's room. It was a little past noon. _Make that three hours, _she thought to herself.

The door to Lucas's room that came from the outside opened, and a concerned voice called out. "Brooke?"

She attempted to answer, but only managed to puke some more. "Oh, Brooke," Lucas sighed, kneeling on the floor behind her, taking over holding her hair back. "Cheery..."

She groaned, hating that he was seeing her this way. "Sorry," she mumbled, attempting to wipe her face off with a towel on the floor.

"It's okay," he said softly. "Are you okay?"

"I hate this, Luke," she said, beginning to choke on her tears. "This is awful. And I've only done it once."

"Brooke, I'm so sorry," he said, his voice practically oozing sincerity. "That you have to go through this, and for what I did the other night. You know I didn't mean it."

"I know," she yawned tiredly. "We can talk later, though. I need to take a shower."

Lucas chuckled, helping her to her feet. "Okay, pretty girl. You sure you're okay to shower?"

"I'll be fine," she said confidently. "Just wait in the living room, I'll call you when I'm ready to talk."

"Okay, pretty girl."

"Hey Luke? Aren't you supposed to be at school?"

"I thought you might need me," Lucas said with a shrug. "Guess I was right."

"Guess you were," Brooke said with a small smile, closing the bathroom door and shakily making her way to the shower. She turned on the water and slowly removed her clothes, her body feeling achy. "Ugh, God."

She stepped under the hot spray, leaning against the wall tiredly. As hard as standing was, the relief that the warm water brought to her was worth it. That is, until the hot steam began to make her stomach churn again. She managed to only throw up down the drain before slowly sinking down the wall, beginning to cry. How could this be her life? She was only seventeen. And here she was. Her best friend had betrayed her. The girl she thought was going to become a close ally had skipped town after a huge accident. Her ex-boyfriend kept switching between Jekyll and Hyde. Her best friend in the world was pregnant, and she might not live to see the baby be born.

Continuing to cry, she felt her body become weaker and weaker, spots of odd color beginning to flood her vision. She attempted to get up, only to slip and fall. She groaned, holding her hip in pain.

"God damn it," she mumbled, pushing her sopping hair out of her face. Her breathing was becoming more labored, and it almost felt as though she was no longer in her body. The spots in her vision were beginning to entirely consume it; she could hardly see, and her head was beginning to throb, as if she was being beaten. In fact, her whole body was beginning to feel that way.

"LUCAS!" she screamed from where she lay on the floor. "LUKE!"

She could hear his hurried footsteps and his desperate rattling at the door. "Hang on, Brooke, you locked the door. Don't be scared, okay?" she could hear him call through the door.

With one solid, loud crash, and mumbled curse, the door was broken off the hinges, falling into the bathroom. He didn't bother trying to move it, just stepping over it. Brooke continued to lay on the floor of the shower, her sobs beginning to completely wear her body to its breaking point.

"Luke.."

He grabbed a towel off the rack, slamming the water valve off. He lifted Brooke off the floor worriedly, wrapping her in the fluffy towel and carrying her into his bedroom. He was now soaking wet from where her body was making contact with his chest, but he didn't care.

"It'll be okay, Brooke. Just breathe, baby. Stay with me, okay?"

He gently placed her on the bed, running around the room looking for clothes. He knew that her modesty might not seem important now, but give it five minutes, and she'd be yelling at him for letting her be naked if he needed to call an ambulance.

"I'm gonna get you to a hospital, okay?"

"No," she groaned. "No, no hospitals."

"Brooke," he began to argue, before shaking his head. He found a pair of her underwear in the drawer, and her favorite pair of black and red flannel pajama bottoms. He found a tank top, and at the very bottom of the drawer, his gray hoodie. He smiled as he carried them over to the bed. "Just trust me, babe."

He slowly removed the towel, beginning to dry her off. She began to shiver, both from the cold and from his touch. He slid her clothes on as slowly as possible, to keep from jostling her. Once she was comfortable, he moved her up on the bed, putting her under the covers and kissing her head tenderly.

"I'll go get you some water and some of the medications your doctor gave you."

Brooke nodded weakly, her eyes still closed. "Hurry."

He dashed to the kitchen, flipping open his cell on the way. "Mom? Hey. I came home like you said, and Brooke is not doing well. She doesn't want to go to the hospital but I don't know what's normal and what isn't after chemo."

He waited a moment for his mother's response, getting Brooke's glass of water and grabbing the medications that were supposed to ease her pain, help her sleep, and ease her stomach.

"If she's naseous and dizzy, that's normal. Achy pains, and exhaustion, that's normal. If she's coughing up blood or something like that, than no, that isn't normal. Use your best judgement, my boy."

"Okay. Thanks Mom."

"Call me if you need anything," Karen said, feeling helpless.

"I will. Bye Ma."

He shut his phone as he re-entered his bedroom. He gently lifted Brooke's head, easing her into taking the three pills with the water. He felt her skin, surprised to feel it be scathingly hot.

"Jesus, Brooke, you're burning up," he said worriedly. "Can I please take you to the hospital?"

"No, Lucas," she begged. "Please. If it doesn't get better soon, you can, but not now."

"Okay," he said reluctantly.

She reached out to him, pulling him toward the bed. "Please come lay with me. I don't want to be alone."

"Okay, pretty girl," he said, crawling into bed beside her. She latched onto him immediately, eyes still closed, breathing deeply and slowly. He held her tightly to his chest, kissing her forehead and whispering words of comfort.

"Sing to me," she murmured into his neck, already half asleep.

"Brooke, you know I can't sing," Lucas half laughed.

"Sing me that song. That Beatles song you said was like...was like me."

Lucas took a deep breath and softly sang in her ear, "Blackbird flying in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly, all your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arise. Blackbird, fly..."

Halfway through the song, he looked down to find that Brooke was finally asleep, and seemingly much more comfortable than she had been. He held her even tighter for a moment before beginning to rise to call her doctor.

"No, boyfriend, come back," Brooke groaned, reaching for him in her sleep. He smiled, crawling back in beside her. She sighed contentedly, nuzzling her wet hair into his neck. He shivered, but smiled anyway despite his discomfort.

The feeling of elation that overcame him when she said that one simple word was more than Lucas could describe. Maybe all hope was not lost to him, after all. He was determined to just be there for her, because he knew that she needed him. But, should she bring up their relationship, Lucas would certainly not be saying no.

A soft knock at the door caused Lucas to stir a few hours later, after he had fallen asleep with Brooke. "Come in!" he loudly whispered at the door.

Peyton Sawyer tentatively entered, looking ashamed and sheepish. "Hey."

"Hey," Lucas replied awkwardly from the bed.

"I brought this for Brooke," Peyton said softly, placing a silver bracelet on the desk. "It was Ellie's cancer bracelet. I just...I thought she might be able to get some strength from it."

"Thanks," Lucas said.

"And, I also brought her this," she said, placing a white envelope on the desk. "It's a letter. Just...give it to her when you think she's feeling up to it."

"I will. Thanks, Peyton."

"No problem."

She paused for a moment.

"How is she?"

"Awful," Lucas answered truthfully. Peyton nodded, biting her lip, before turning and leaving Lucas's room before he could see her cry over her former friend.

Brooke began to stir as the door closed.

"Hm?"

"Sh, go back to sleep," Lucas whispered. She closed her eyes once again, nodding.

"Okay."

Lucas watched her drift back into dreamland and couldn't help but smile once again at her beauty. Despite her sickness, despite how broken she might be, she truly looked gorgeous. Perhaps it was her strength, or her kindness, or her selflessness, but Lucas couldn't help but love her more than he thought possible in that moment.


	7. Chapter 7

It was later on that night that Karen Roe came home to find her son entangled with a sickly looking Brooke. Sighing from both exhaustion at work, emotional exhaustion from worrying over the girl in front of her, and the constant worry that she may or may not be pregnant with her dead fiance's baby, she chose to leave the two contented teens alone as she went into the kitchen to make dinner.

As guilty as it made her feel, she wondered if perhaps she shouldn't trust her son with the fragile girl in the next room. She had seen the cheery brunette flee from her home in tears too many times. Even if Brooke left before Lucas could see her tears, Karen always saw the girl remain in her parked car, shoulders shaking with sobs, for at least half an hour. Karen knew that Brooke did this for several reasons; she really did not want Lucas to see her cry, she wanted him to come after her, and she didn't trust herself to drive in an emotional state.

The one thing Brooke did not need now was another heartbreak, and she wasn't quite sure that she could trust Lucas to refrain from breaking Brooke's heart, as much as she wished she could. She was broken from her reverie by a gentle knock, and then the arrival of Haley James-Scott.

"Hi, Karen," Haley greeted. "I stopped by to see Brooke."

"She's asleep in Luke's room," Karen explained. "She had a really rough day."

Haley's forehead crinkled with worry. "How rough?"

"I haven't gotten a chance to get the details," Karen said, starting to wash the vegetables. Haley dropped her purse and began to help as well. "But from what Lucas explained earlier, she collapsed and she was puking for hours."

"Poor thing," Haley sighed. "I brought her some schoolwork, and a few magazines."

"How's Nathan doing?"

"Oh, he's doing great," Haley said with a smile. "He should be able to come back to school tomorrow. He just needed a little extra rest."

"I'm so glad," Karen beamed. "If you want, I can go wake Brooke and Lucas."

"Oh no, let them rest," Haley said. "I should get back to Nathan anyway. Goodnight, Karen."

"Goodnight, Haley."

Several minutes after the door slammed, a befuddled looking Lucas stumbled into the hall. "Hey, Ma."

"Hello, son," she greeted sweetly. "How's Brooke?"

"Still tired," Luke yawned. "Today was...it was really scary."

"There will be many days like today," Karen warned. "Do you think you can handle that?"

"Of course I can," Lucas said defensively.

"It's just...you're very young, and this is very complicated."

"I know that, Ma," Lucas said through gritted teeth. "What are you trying to say?"

"I just...I want you to tread carefully. Don't get involved with something you can't handle, because you'll just hurt her in the end."

"Jesus, Ma," Lucas protested. "I love her. I really, truly do love Brooke."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset," Karen said tiredly. "I just worry. I've seen her cry in our driveway too many times, and she's too sick to handle that, Lucas."

"I know," Lucas sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm trying to make it right."

"Luke?" Brooke's small voice called from his room. She began to sound afraid. "Luke?!"

"Coming!" he called, bounding off down the hall to the brunette lying in his bed. Karen watched him go and gathered all the hope she could muster that this would all turn out okay.

When Luke slid into his doorway, Brooke was still asleep, but clawing at the sheets beside her, her face twisted in fear.

"Brooke," Lucas said calmingly, crawling into the empty space and letting her grab onto him. "I'm right here. It's all okay."

"Don't leave," she mumbled into his chest. "Don't leave, I love you."

Lucas paused everything, all movement, all breathing. "I love you too, Brooke."

She sighed, cuddling closer to him. Lucas felt her forehead worriedly, but was pleased to see that it was cooler than earlier, and that maybe she was not quite as sick. She had said she loved him. Sure, she had been sleeping, but she had said that she loved him. He was getting closer and closer to making things right again.

Brooke's cell phone began to ring from the nightstand, and Lucas reached for it in an effort to keep it from waking Brooke.

"Hello?"

"Uh, hey, is Brooke there?" a deep, clearly male voice asked.

"She's asleep," Lucas said shortly. "Who's this?"

"Can you tell her Chase called? From her History class?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure."

"Thanks, bro."

The line clicked off, leaving Lucas wondering who the hell Chase was, and why he had never heard of him. Brooke began to stir in his arms, waking up with a small yawn and a cat-like stretch.

"Morning," she mumbled cutely, blinking her big hazel eyes.

"Morning," Lucas replied with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

She paused and considered this question for a moment. "Hm. Certainly not awful," Brooke said. "Much better than before."

"I'm glad," he said softly, pushing her now-dry hair out of her face. "So, are we gonna have that talk now?"

"Sure," Brooke said with a sigh, lying back down. They were both turned on their side, facing one another.

"I'm really, really sorry, Brooke. I had no right to say those things to you, no matter how angry or hurt I was. I just...I really hope that you'll let me be here for you. I'll take you any way I can get you, Brooke."

"It's okay. I mean, it was really scary. And please never do that to me again, or so help me God, I will kick your ass. But, I understand why you were angry and hurt. I should have told you the truth."

"I was more hurt that you felt that way," Lucas said. "I mean, I was hurt that you believed that the second I found out that Peyton had feelings for me, I'd up and leave you. You mean so much more to me than that, Brooke. I thought you finally knew that."

"Part of me knew that," Brooke began, "but part of me kept it in the back of my mind, that you didn't call me once on your trip, but when I was with Peyton, she had a missed call from you."

"I called her to check on her, because of the shooting," Lucas said, ashamed.

"But you could have called to check on me, too," Brooke reminded him softly. "It just hurt, that you were always saving her. I was going through tests and being diagnosed, and I honestly would have told you everything, if I felt like I had your support to begin with."

"Of course you had my support."

"Not really, Lucas. There wasn't enough room in your mind for me and Peyton. She won out over me," Brooke said sadly. "I tried really, really hard to make you happy, after you lost Keith. And I know how hard it was for you, and I know that maybe I'll never understand what it's like. But, I was your girlfriend. And I just needed you to show me a little bit of care."

"I'm sorry I made you feel that way," Lucas croaked, fighting back tears at the realization that he hadn't shown Brooke how much he really loved her. "Can I ask you something?"

"Go for it."

"Do you still love me, Brooke?"

Brooke paused, closing her eyes. Slowly, she began to answer. "Of course I still love you. When I broke up with you, I told you that I always would, remember?"

"Do you love me enough to give this another try?"

"I-"

"You don't have to decide now," Lucas said, noticing her alarm. "I just...I want you to consider that option."

"Luke..."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have gone there."

"No, Luke, listen to me," Brooke laughed. "I might not have a lot of time left. I might end up leaving you whether I like it or not. I can't give you always and forever like Haley can give Nathan. But, I can give you here and now. I can try."

"What are you saying, Brooke?" Lucas asked hopefully.

"I'm saying that I love you, Lucas Scott," Brooke said, her eyes beginning to fill with tears. "And I'm all yours, if you'll take me."

Lucas didn't answer her; he simply brought a gentle hand to her face, wiping away the tear that fell down her cheek. He brought her in for one tender kiss before rubbing his nose against hers, in their trademark eskimo kiss.

"I love you too, Brooke Davis," Lucas whispered. "And you're all mine."


	8. Chapter 8

Lucas awoke the next morning to find his girlfriend shuffling around the room getting ready.

"Crazy girl, what are you doing?" he mumbled tiredly.

"Getting ready for school, silly," she chirped happily.

"Brooke, you need to rest."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I haven't been to school in two weeks."

"Yeah, and you had chemo two days ago," Lucas reminded her, getting out of bed and walking toward her.

"Luke, I have chemo again tomorrow. Do you really expect me to miss school for two days after each one?"

"If you need to."

"But I don't," Brooke reassured. "I'm fine, Lucas. I promise."

He sighed, kissing her forehead and letting her continue on getting ready. "Fine. But if you feel sick at all, I'm taking you home."

"Deal," she said with a grin, picking out an outfit for the day. "So what are the rumors about me?"

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked as he began to brush his teeth.

"I've been gone for two weeks. I'm sure there are rumors."

"Most people think you were taking care of Nathan and Rachel."

Brooke's face fell into a frown at the mention of her missing friend. "I wonder where she went."

"Have you tried calling her?" Lucas asked.

"Nah," Brooke said with a small shrug. "I guess we weren't as close as I thought."

Lucas, at a loss for words, simply gave her a sweet kiss before throwing on a T-shirt and jeans. "You almost ready?"

"Of course not, Broody," Brooke said, grabbing a little red sundress. She paired it with a pair of yellow ballet flats, running a brush through her long brown hair. She sighed. "I'm really gonna miss this hair when it's gone."

"Don't worry about that now, babe."

"Will you still love me when I'm bald?"

"Of course I will, Brooke," Lucas said, his face wrinkling with concern. "What kind of question is that?"

She shrugged again, giving his hand a small squeeze. She spent about a minute applying makeup before turning to him with a nervous smile. "Ready to go."

"Okay, pretty girl, let's do this."

Being back at school was an odd experience for Brooke. People had obviously heard of her falling out with Peyton, and seemed confused at the sight of Brooke and Lucas together once again. She held his hand tightly as they walked into school.

"Brooke!" Haley called out excitedly from her locker. Nathan stood beside her, and her turned to give his friend a smile.

"Hey Naley!" she beamed. She gave them both a hug before turning to Nathan. "You making your comeback today too, Hot Shot?"

"You bet, B," Nathan winked.

"You would think people had better things to look at," Haley commented after watching yet another group of passerby slow to stare at Brooke and Nathan.

Brooke shrugged. "Let them stare. I look hot." With a little wink, she skipped off toward her locker, leaving her friends in her wake.

"She seems much better," Nathan commented.

"She insisted on coming to school today," Lucas replied. "I'm a little worried that she's taking an inch and running a mile."

"I think she's okay," Haley said, watching as her best friend grabbed some books from her locker down the hall. A brunette boy approached her nervously, tapping her on the shoulder. She turned and smiled at him sweetly. "Who's that?"

"No clue," Nathan shrugged. "Oh wait! He's in our history class. His name's....Chase."

"So that's Chase," Lucas muttered. "He called her yesterday."

"Oh, cut it out," Haley said, nudging Lucas. "You know Brooke only has eyes for you."

Just as she said this, the pretty brunette threw her head back in laughter. "You've got to be kidding me," Lucas groaned.

"Hey guys," Peyton said, approaching the group nervously.

"Hey Peyton," Haley greeted plainly.

Brooke glanced down the hall just in time to see Lucas share an awkward hug with Peyton. She scoffed and shook her brown locks. Grabbing Chase by the arm, she stalked back down the hall toward her friends.

"Hey guys, I'm gonna go to class with Chase. See you later!" she said to Haley and Nathan, blatantly ignoring Lucas and Peyton.

"See now this," Lucas said, "is why I was nervous about her coming back to school."

Haley rolled her eyes and grabbed her best friend and husband by the arms, walking off toward class, leaving Peyton alone. She sighed, leaning against the locker. Her phone vibrated in her jacket pocket, so she pulled it out to read her text.

**From: Jake **

**Hey Peyt. Just wondering if you've sorted things out yet. Me and Jenny miss you. **

Peyton smiled at the phone, sending back a quick text before heading off in the direction that Brooke had dragged Chase. She knew she couldn't have Lucas, and to be honest, she didn't want that anymore. She knew she probably would never repair her friendship with Brooke. But she could start here, with Jake, and with the little family she hadn't had the guts to see through.

It wasn't until lunch time that Lucas saw Brooke once again. "Hey babe," he said nervously, wrapping an arm around her and giving her a light kiss on the cheek.

"Hey," she murmured, nibbling on an apple. Her shortness seemed to be purely out of exhaustion, and not anger. The petty argument from earlier was long forgotten as Lucas took a look at how drawn and pale her face looked.

"You okay?" he asked worriedly. She nodded slowly.

"I just feel a little bit sick."

"I'm gonna take you home," he said, grabbing her bag. "Come on."

"No, Lucas, I'll be fine," she insisted. "Please, don't treat me like glass."

"I'm sorry, I just worry about you," Lucas apologized, sitting beside her. "Can I at least get you something?"

"Some ginger ale from the cafeteria?" she asked sweetly. "And maybe some crackers?"

"You got it, pretty girl," he said, giving her a light kiss before walking off toward the cafeteria. Brooke sighed, putting her face in her hands.

"Hey, Tigger," Haley greeted. "Not feeling well?"

"You could say that," Brooke said with a grimace. "This is already getting old, Tutor Wife."

"I'm sorry, hon," the blonde said to her friend. "Maybe if you're feeling better later, we could go see a movie. Or go shopping. You know, just get you out of the house."

"That would be nice," Brooke smiled. "Really nice."

"Good," Haley grinned. "So, that Chase guy?"

"He's a friend," Brooke explained. "He's one of those Clean Teens. Rachel had some plot to devirginize him before she left."

"How sweet," Haley said wryly. "How are you with that, by the way? Her just up and leaving?"

"I'm okay," Brooke shrugged. "We weren't friends for that long, you know? I mean, I wish she would have at least said goodbye."

"Yeah," Haley said softly, quieting as Peyton approached their table.

"Hey Hales, hey Brooke," Peyton greeted. "Jake and Jenny are coming to visit this Saturday, and I was wondering if you guys would want to come to the Rivercourt, have a little welcome back thing, you know?"

To Haley's surprise, Brooke looked up at her curly haired, former best friend with a smile. "I'd love to. How long are they staying?"

"I'm not sure," Peyton replied, obviously just as surprised as Haley. "He and I are going to see how things go."

Brooke's smile was soft as she looked at the girl she had spent most of her childhood with. "I'm happy for you, Peyton."

"Thank you, Brooke," Peyton said gratefully. "I'll see you around?"

"Yeah, see you," Brooke said, watching her walk away.

"Wow," Haley breathed. "I'm impressed, Miss Davis."

"What?" Brooke asked in confusion.

"You're growing up," Haley said, observing her friend curiously.

"Oh, please. I'm like freaking Peter Pan. Brooke Davis does not grow up," Brooke said cheekily. Lucas returned with a can of gingerale and a small bag of crackers.

"Sorry, I had to convince the lunch lady to get the ginger ale from the kitchen," Lucas explained.

"Thanks gorgeous," Brooke said, giving him a perky kiss.

"You just missed a glimpse at grown up Brooke," Haley teased. Brooke threw a cracker at her friend jokingly.

"Hey Davis, watch it," Nathan joked, sitting beside his wife and slinging an arm around her shoulder casually. He grabbed a piece of the fruit salad she was eating and popped it in his mouth. "And besides, Brooke Davis doesn't grow up."

"See? Told ya so," Brooke said, sticking her tongue out at Haley. "Nate and I promised. Remember that?"

Nathan smiled. "Yeah, we were what, nine?"

"I think we were younger. More like seven. At that stupid country club ball."

"When we snuck off to the sand bunkers on the golf course," Nathan laughed, "and you tried to get me to kiss you."

"Hey, I was seven."

"Nine."

"I didn't realize you guys were that close growing up," Haley commented, looking between her husband and best friend.

"Oh yeah," Brooke said, "we were inseperable. Dan and my dad were golfing buddies. When Nathan started dating Peyton, things kinda changed."

"Don't remind me," Nathan groaned, putting his head on his wife's shoulder. Lucas and Haley exchanged content glances.

"So, did you kiss her?" Haley asked jokingly to her husband.

"Nope," Nathan said proudly. "The one and only guy to reject Brooke Davis."

"Ahem," Lucas said, clearing his throat.

"Don't remind _me," _Brooke groaned, leaning onto Lucas.

To any outsider, their table looked like any other table of happy, content teenagers hanging out on their lunch break, joking and laughing. But all of them knew there was something else on the surface threatening to break at any moment; they could only hope that that moment was further off than they could see.


	9. Chapter 9

Brooke sat on the floor of Lucas's room late one night, about a week later. She had had a particularly rough chemo session that morning, but after spending the whole day sick and resting, she had crawled out of bed with her slumbering boyfriend and now sat on the floor, her legs criss crossed, as she nervously dialed the number she had been dreading.

"Daddy?" she croaked as the familiar, deep voice of her father filled the phone.

"Brooklyn?"

"Yeah, it's me. Listen, I need to talk to you."

"Hold on, your mother wants to talk to you," her father snapped, and she could hear her mother take the phone.

"What are all these bills I'm getting from insurance? The accountant told us they're through the roof," her mother complained. "Did you get knocked up?"

"No, Mom," Brooke said through gritted teeth. "I...I was diagnosed with cancer, Mom."

The line was silent. "Oh."

"Is that...is that really all you have to say?" Brooke asked, and she suddenly felt like the five year old girl she used to be, begging for her parents' attention in a big cold mansion.

"You know, Brooklyn, this is a bit far to go for attention," her mother sneered through the phone. Brooke scoffed in disbelief, not noticing her boyfriend stir and sit up in confusion at what his girlfriend was doing up on the phone at nearly midnight.

"I'm not lying to you, Mom!" Brooke exclaimed, and cursed herself for her voice betraying how upset she felt.

Lucas rubbed his eyes, attempting to understand the conversation that Brooke was having through his sleep induced haze. Brooke's eyes filled with tears as her mother heaved a deep sigh. "Well, looks like we're going to have to up your allowance. Do try and get better, dear."

"Aren't you going to...come home? At least come visit me?" Brooke asked, not attempting to hide the fact that she was crying now.

"Oh dear, we're heading to Prague in a couple of days. It just won't do to stop in Tree Hill," Brooke's mother said remorselessly. Brooke let out a hollow laugh.

"Well, thanks for the extra money then," Brooke said sadly. "Bye, Mom. Love you."

"Goodbye, Brooklyn. And what have I told you about calling me Mom? Please, dear, it's Victoria."

Brooke shut her phone, blinking back her tears furiously.

"Baby?" Lucas asked cautiously. He had never known very much about Brooke's parents, or her relationship with them; other than the fact that they were hardly around.

"She's a cold, heartless, frigid bitch," Brooke muttered to herself, standing up shakily and leaving through the door that lead outside.

"Brooke," Lucas groaned, getting up and following her into the cold night. "It's freezing out here. Come inside."

"I just want to be outside for a little bit," Brooke sniffled, wiping tears off her cheeks. "Please."

"I'll stay with you," Lucas offered, stepping toward her.

"No, I want to be alone, please," she said politely, so politely that it frightened him a little bit.

"Okay," he replied warily. "I'll just be in bed if you need me."

She nodded distantly, and remained on the porch, wrapping her arms around herself. He watched her for a moment, standing there in nothing but his large T-shirt. She was already beginning to lose weight, even after only a week of chemo, and her limbs looked alarmingly thin from this distance. She ran a hand through her dark hair, which, although he would never say it to her, was noticeably thinner than it used to be. He sighed and re-entered his bedroom, giving his stubborn girlfriend the space she needed. He crawled back in bed alone, leaving the right side of the bed unoccupied for the brunette beauty crying on the porch.

Lucas didn't _mean _to fall asleep. But the minutes lying with his eyes closed waiting for Brooke to come back had turned into hours, and he had slowly drifted into slumber. When his alarm woke him the next morning, he reached his hand out to gently shake Brooke, to see how she was feeling. However, that spot next to the bed was empty. He got up in a hurry, dashing out onto the porch and finding her curled up in a tiny ball on the porch swing, still wearing only his T-shirt. She was asleep, and he wondered how the hell he had let her fall asleep in the freezing cold wearing close to nothing.

He looked out into the street, glaring at a group of middle school boys walking to school who were blatantly checking out his girlfriend's lengthy legs. They quickly looked away and carried on, while he picked up his girlfriend and carried her back into his room. He gently lay her down on the bed and shook her awake.

"Brooke? Baby?"

"Hm?"

"Brooke, babe, you fell asleep outside...your immune system can't handle that. Are you okay?"

"Of course I'm-" Brooke began, but was cut off by a round of intense, heart coughs. She looked up at him innocently and gave him a small shrug. "Whoops?"

"No, Brooke," Lucas groaned, "not whoops. This could be really bad!"

"I'm fine, I was going to stay home today anyway."

"And now I'm staying, too."

"Lucas, I'm fine," Brooke protested. "You have a huge test today in Lit. And a really important practice. Tomorrow is game day."

Lucas sighed and grabbed a t-shirt off the floor. "Yeah, yeah. And we need to talk about you cheering."

"We already talked about this," Brooke said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm cheering, Luke, like it or not."

"I wish you'd at least consider.."

"No, Lucas," Brooke sighed tiredly, "I will not sit on a cube the whole time."

"You could just sit still and look pretty?"

"No, Lucas!" Brooke exclaimed fiercely, much more fiercely than he expected. "Why is it that that's all anybody ever wants me to do, huh? Stand still and look pretty? I'm fucking more than that! I thought you of all people knew that!"

"Brooke, it isn't about that! It's about you being sick!"

"Oh, I'm so sure," she spat sarcastically before coughing and turning over on her side away from him. "Have a good day at school."

He sighed, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "Call me or text me if you need me."

"I will," he heard her mumble into the pillow. Lucas grabbed his keys from the desk and left for school as she had requested; or demanded, rather.

"Hey Brooke?" he asked, but received no answer. "I love you."

He waited a moment, grinning as he heard her stubbornly reply, "I love you too, dumbass."

When Lucas arrived at school, an anxious looking Haley was waiting for him. "Where's Brooke?"

"She's at home," Lucas said. "She fell asleep outside last night, and now she's probably got a cold."

"But, she can't do things like that! How could you let her do that, Luke?" Haley exclaimed accusingly. Lucas rolled his eyes.

"You try reasoning with Brooke Davis at midnight and then you'll have your answer, Hales," Lucas sighed. "What do you need her for? Anything I can do?"

"Uh, no. It's girl stuff," Haley explained with a nervous giggle.

"Why don't you ask Peyton?"

"Really, Lucas?" Haley said dryly, shooting him a look. He gave her a blank stare. "You're either Team Brooke or Team Peyton. And I don't know about you, but I'm Team Brooke."

"Don't you think Peyton has been through enough already?" Lucas asked his best friend. She gave him a scathing look.

"And Brooke hasn't?"

"That isn't what I meant!"

"Look, Luke," Haley said softly. "You know that I love you. You're my best friend. But so is Brooke, and if you don't plan on treating her right this time around, then don't bother messing around with her. Because I can't take seeing her that broken up again."

Lucas reeled in disbelief. "And neither can I, Haley. Peyton just needs a friend right now."

"And you don't need to be that friend, Lucas," Haley said angrily. "Let someone else do it. Because right now, it's supposed to be about Brooke. Can't you make it about her for once?"

"It's always about Brooke!" Lucas said spitefully. Haley crossed her arms and glared at him.

"You've got to be kidding me," Haley said wryly. "You really are a piece of work, Lucas. You always want whichever girl you can't have, don't you? When you were with Brooke before, it was all about Peyton. Then Peyton wanted you, and suddenly it was all about Brooke. Now it's back to being about Peyton, because you have Brooke now."

"Woah," Nathan said as he approached his wife and half-brother. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Haley said, huffing as she glared at Lucas.

"Your wife is just flipping out over nothing," Lucas explained coolly.

"Oh boy," Nathan groaned. "Here it goes."

"I am not flipping out over nothing!" Haley yelled. "I'm flipping out because contrary to you, I actually give a shit about Brooke!"

"Excuse me?" a quiet, raspy voice said from behind Haley. Lucas and Haley both stood awkwardly for a moment, taking in the sight of Brooke, in jeans and one of Lucas's t-shirts. Her hair was in a messy bun atop her head, and her face was makeupless.

"What are you doing here, babe?" Lucas managed to croak.

"I had a meeting with my counselor that I forgot about," Brooke said softly. "What was Haley talking about?"

"It was nothing," Haley cut in. Brooke glared at her.

"Don't lie to me, Hales."

"Hey, Brooke, I'll walk you to the office," Nathan said, gently grabbing the brunette's arm. Brooke looked away from Haley and Lucas, looking upset.

"Thanks, Nate," she said, her voice practically a whisper. She linked arms with him as he walked her toward the office. Nathan looked back at his wife and brother angrily, wanting to protect the fragile brunette walking at his side.

"Look what you did," Lucas groaned. "Now Brooke thinks something is going on."

"Well, something is going on, Lucas!" Haley argued. "You can't pretend that it isn't. Obviously you still have some kind of deep-seated feelings for Peyton."

"I love Peyton Sawyer!" Lucas yelled, spreading his arms out like a spectacle. "Is that what you want to hear, Haley?" he asked, his voice lower now. He suddenly noticed the large amount of people staring at him in shock. "Look what you did."

"Hey, it's all on you," Haley seethed before turning to storm off. Lucas stood in the quad, watching the gossip mill turn with this new proclamation from Lucas Scott. He sighed, running a hand over his face. A snarky voice came from behind him.

"Once a bastard, always a bastard," Rachel Gattina said smugly, brushing past him. "Now where's the queen slut of Tree Hill? She and I have some things to discuss."

"Rachel?" Lucas asked, shocked.

"That's my name, don't wear it out," she grinned cockily. "No, but really. Don't say it. I don't like it when cheating assholes call me by first name."

"It isn't like that, Rachel," Lucas sighed. "And Brooke and I are back together now."

"Wow," Rachel blinked. "I always knew she was a dipshit, but this takes the cake."

"Shut up, Rachel," he ground out. "We moved her stuff out of your house, and she's living with me. You know, after you abandoned her."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I needed to get out of this hellhole for a little while after what happened with Cooper."

Lucas couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for her in that moment, watching her eyes cloud over at the mention of Cooper. The second bell rang, indicating that first period had already started, and Luke had yet to actually go to class.

"You're late," Rachel said, looking up toward the main building. Lucas shrugged.

"I'm gonna wait for Brooke."

"Well, then, looks like I'll have company," Rachel said, propping herself up on a nearby bench. "So what's happened in two weeks? Start talking, Scott."


	10. Chapter 10

"Well, well, well," Brooke said happily. "Look what the cat dragged in."

"Brooke Davis," Rachel replied slyly. "Woah there, anorexic much?"

Brooke rolled her hazel eyes and pulled the redhead in for a hug. "Where the hell have you been, fatass?"

"I needed a break after what happened," the redhead explained, suddenly serious. She dropped this quickly. "But I obviously should have stayed if you were dumb enough to get back with Lucas Scott."

"Hey!" Lucas protested. Brooke gave him a blank look.

"You're probably right," she said coolly to Rachel. "Especially since I just overheard a few girls walking by me in the hall talking about Lucas Scott yelling "I love Peyton Sawyer" in the quad before first period."

Lucas sighed. "Brooke-"

Brooke glared at him. "Was I talking to you? No."

"Brooke, it isn't what it seemed like!"

"I've heard that before," she scoffed. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to spend the day with my friend."

"Pretty girl-"

Her glare silenced him, and he watched her walk off with the tall redhead, who turned and gave him a smug smirk. He ran his hands over his face, groaning. Why was his relationship with Brooke always so complicated? Why could they never just be happy? No matter what he did, she seemed to be constantly angry with him.

"BROOKE!" Lucas called out angrily, his temper catching up with him. He jogged to catch up with the retreating girls. "Look, you can be pissed at me all you want. At this point, I'm used to it. But you're sick, and you spent the night outside. At least just go back to Rachel's and rest. Please."

"No," Brooke said stubbornly, narrowing her eyes. "Goodbye, Lucas."

Lucas let out a small grunt of frustration, reaching out and grabbing her arm as she turned to walk away from him. "Brooke. I'm serious."

"Let go of me, Lucas," Brooke hissed, her tone full of fire.

"God damn it, Brooke," Lucas growled, pulling her by the wrist. She let out a little yelp, which Lucas chalked up to his girlfriend being over dramatic.

"Lucas, let go!" Brooke whimpered, her eyes looking up at him with what could only be described as fear. Lucas suddenly felt naseous, realizing he had tightened his grip on her wrists without noticing.

"Brooke, I'm sorry," Lucas said gently, going to touch her face. She stepped back quickly.

"Bye, Lucas," Brooke said, her voice cracking a little. She walked off with Rachel, rubbing her wrists. Rachel suddenly turned and took a few steps toward him.

"Stay away from her. She's coming back to live with me, got that?" Rachel snapped. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and she looked ready for battle. "She needs to be near people who care about her. I don't know what is going on here, but she is not okay. And I will be here for her, because you are obviously incapable."

Lucas watched Rachel put a protective arm around the brunette's small, lithe little shoulders. The two walked off, quietly whispering, and Lucas was left standing alone.

"So, when are you going to tell me what made you so fucking skinny?" Rachel asked as they shopped around Suburban Filth later that day. "I was obviously wrong about you being knocked up, seeing as you've gone the opposite way and now you look like Mary Kate. Or Ashley. I don't know, whichever Olsen twin was all beat up."

Brooke sighed. "It's a long story."

Rachel shrugged. "I have time."

"Well...okay. This is kind of a weird place to be telling you," Brooke said with a nervous little laugh. "I was diagnosed with lymphoma about a month ago. I started chemo a couple weeks ago."

Rachel stopped, the red bra she was holding in her hands falling from them onto the floor. She blinked her perfectly lined eyes at Brooke before suddenly flinging herself at her friend in a hug. "Holy fuck," she breathed. Brooke laughed and hugged the redhead before letting go.

"Don't get all soft on me, Fondle Me Elmo," Brooke teased.

"Brooke," Rachel said, her voice completely serious. "This is the only time I'm going to say this. But you're really the closest thing I've ever had to a best friend in my entire life. I don't want to lose that. I mean, I came back here because I missed your fat ass. Then I come back and you look like a sick version of Peytwhore."

Brooke shook out her dark hair, beginning to laugh but coughing instead. Rachel's expression became concerned. Brooke rolled her eyes. "I got in a fight with my parents last night and I ended up falling asleep on the porch. Apparently my immune system isn't strong enough to do that. I'm a little sick."

"Jesus," Rachel sighed. "Come on. Let's get you home."

"No," Brooke said quickly. She glanced down at the bruises on her wrists from where Lucas had grabbed her earlier. "I don't want to see Lucas. He's home from school by now."

Rachel looked at Brooke's wrists as well. "I can't believe he did that."

Brooke's cell began to ring for what felt like the hundredth time. She held up a finger to Rachel when she saw the name on the screen. It was not, as anticipated, Lucas. It was Haley.

"Hey Tutorgirl," Brooke greeted. Rachel scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Hey Brookie," Haley replied. "I was wondering if you could come over. I really need someone to talk to right now."

"Of course," Brooke said, her voice concerned. "I'm with Rachel, I'll have her drop me off."

"Rachel's back?" Haley gasped.

"Tell her I'm over her boringly monogamous husband," Rachel winked, browsing through mini skirts. Brooke laughed.

"Yeah, and she said to tell you that she's over your husband," Brooke giggled. To her surprise, Haley laughed a little as well.

"I'm glad. I'll see you soon then."

"Sounds good," Brooke chirped, hanging up the phone. "Hales needs me. Is it okay if I cut this a little short?"

Rachel nodded. "She was always better at the mommy shit than I am."

Brooke and Rachel left the mall, heading toward the apartment of Haley and Nathan. Brooke was gazing out the window while Rachel recounted an adventure she had in New York City in her absence before being cut off by a gasp from the pretty brunette in the front seat.

Lucas was sitting in the front seat of Peyton's Comet at the other side of the intersection. Brooke's jaw dropped open in shock and anger as she stared at her former best friend and her boyfriend. Or, at this point, her ex-boyfriend.

"That son of a bitch!" Rachel exclaimed, gripping the steering wheel of her SUV. "Brooke, you're seriously not going back there tonight. If you want to crash with Haley, that's cool. But if you can't, then you're coming to my house."

"Okay," Brooke whispered. "Thanks."

Rachel took a moment to squeeze her friend's arm as they arrived at Haley and Nathan's apartment building. Brooke got out, mumbling a quiet thank you before beginning to climb up the stairs to the apartment that used to be hers.

Halfway up the staircase, she began to feel pressure in her lungs; less and less oxygen was entering her body with each breath. She leaned against the railing of the stairs, gasping and coughing for a moment. Brooke shook her dark hair, composing herself as best as she could as she continued her trek up the staircase in frustration. After traveling up two steps, she found herself leaning hard against the railing once again, her chest heaving with the effort of her breath.

"Brooke?" Nathan called out from the bottom of the stairs. He dashed up, stuffing his keys in his pocket before picking up the brunette and carrying her toward the apartment. "Jesus, Brookie. You've gotta be careful!"

He put her down as he got his keys out of his pocket, quickly opening the door and ushering her in. "Hales!" he called into the living room. "We've got a situation!"

Haley came out of the bathroom, in a white t-shirt and jeans, looking worse for wear as well. Nathan's brow wrinkled with concern as he looked at his wife. "Jesus, Hales, you okay babe?"

She nodded with a quaky smile before rushing to help Brooke. "Tigger, sweetie, lay down on the couch. Where was she?"

"On the stairs," Nathan explained, still assessing the state of his pale, shaky wife. "Haley, you should sit down, too."

"I'm fine, Nate," Haley said softly, bringing a blanket to Brooke.

"Hales," Nathan said firmly, "you've been running yourself into the ground for me and Brooke. Let me take this one on, okay?"

Haley sighed. "Okay, fine." She sat beside her sick friend. Nathan went into the kitchen, returning with two ginger ales, some crackers, and a couple of water bottles.

"Do you know why Brooke was coming over?" Nathan asked, his forehead creased with worry. "Lucas has been looking for her all day."

Haley shook her head, looking more exhausted than before. "He needs to stay away from her for now. He hurt her. He told me."

"What do you mean?" Nathan asked slowly. "What do you mean by hurt her?"

Brooke whimpered slightly, still wheezing, her face drawn and pale from her illness. She held out her wrists slowly for Nathan to see. His jaw clenched, and his hands began to form into fists. He reached for the jacket on the chair and made his way to the door.

"Nate-" Haley began.

"Hales, I'm just going to talk to him. I promise."

Haley sighed as he slammed the door. "And then there were two, huh?"

Brooke nodded, leaning her head on Haley's shoulder. "What did you need to talk to me about babe?"

"I don't know how to tell Nathan about the baby," Haley said softly.

"You've got to do it soon, Tutor Mom," Brooke said weakly. "You'll start showing soon enough."

"And he's starting to get suspicious, since I've been so sick. I keep telling him I'm just stressed."

"Haley, Nathan will be ecstatic to be having a baby with you," Brooke reassured her friend. "He loves you so much, and even if the timing isn't exactly ideal, I know he'll be thrilled."

"We've already been having money problems lately," Haley mumbled, picking at the threads in the blanket. "This is going to make it even worse."

"So I'll help you out," Brooke supplied. "I'm sickly and can guilt the hell out of my rich parents, Hales."

"I don't want you to do that for us, Brooke."

"Just know that I will. I really don't mind."

"Thanks."

The two girls sat for a long time, Brooke's head resting upon Haley's shoulder, in comfortable silence.

"Can I stay here tonight?" Brooke mumbled.

"Of course you can. As long as you need." Haley paused a moment. "You know I love you, right Brookie?"

Brooke managed a half smile. "Of course I do. And I love you too, Haley."

There was a pause. "You wanna watch Friends and eat crap that's bad for us?"

"Yes please, Tutor Mom."

Nathan located Lucas at the Rivercourt, where the blonde was sitting in the middle of the court, his head in his hands.

"Luke!" Nathan called out, his voice a short bark. Lucas looked up and swallowed.

"Hey," he croaked. "Look, Nate, I-"

"No," Nathan said, standing in front of his brother, who remained on the ground. He put his hands out in front of him, and then thought better of it, thrusting them through his dark hair instead and letting them rest at his side. "Lucas, you don't understand the relationship I've had with Brooke my entire life, okay? Just because we don't act like you and Haley doesn't mean that she's not my best friend."

"Look, man, I know you've been friends but it's not like me and Haley."

"Yeah, Luke, it actually is. Brooke used to stay at my house when her parents went out of town when we were younger, before she was old enough to stay on her own. Even _Dan _liked Brooke when we were kids. Then we hit middle school and things got a little bit awkward between us. She was the only one who knew about my mom and about how awful Dan could be. Brooke and I have been there for each other for years. And now, she's dying, Lucas. My _best friend _is dying, and even if she and I haven't been flaunting our friendship, she does mean a lot to me. And she deserves to be treated right. I can't let you keep hurting her, especially physically."

Lucas stood now, his eyes narrowed but reflecting his guilt. "I didn't mean to hurt her, I was just upset."

"And I was upset when she was collapsed on my stairs this afternoon but did I physically harm her?"

"She collapsed?" Lucas asked, his words slurred he asked them so quickly. He felt his flawed heart begin to skip. "Is she okay? Where is she?"

"She's at the apartment. And she's going to stay with us for a while. I'm sorry. You're my brother, and I love you, but I can't trust you with her. I wanted to, I really did. But this is the second time that Brooke Davis has been a crying mess in my living room because of you, in a matter of weeks."

"Let me talk to her, Nathan," Lucas practically begged. "I just need to talk to her, I need to apologize, and tell her I love her."

"Do you really?" Nathan shot back, his voice icy.

Lucas reeled. "Of course I do."

"Then start acting like it," Nathan said harshly. He turned to walk away, but spun back toward his brother. "You might not have forever with this girl, okay Lucas? And I think you're taking that for granted. I think you're taking her for granted."

"Please, Nathan," Lucas said, his voice strangled. "I need to see her. Let me come see her."

Nathan appraised him for a moment before crossing his arms over his chest. "Fine. But if she doesn't want to see you, I'm not going to convince her."


	11. Chapter 11

Lucas Scott was a mess. Brooke had refused to see him that night, and as Nathan had vowed, his friends had done nothing to help convince her. He had no idea how she was, how her treatment was going, if there had been any new developments. He was completely in the dark in regards to the girl he loved, and there was nothing he could do about it. He was sitting in his room lamenting this fact when Peyton came in.

"Hey Lucas," she said, her voice tentative. She had been different ever since that day in his room with Brooke; Lucas and Peyton had discussed things, and she was ashamed. Ashamed of everything she had done to hurt Brooke, who would walk through fire to make sure that no harm befell Peyton herself. "I was wondering if you ever gave Brooke my letter."

Lucas scoffed. "I haven't seen or talked to her in five days."

It was then that Peyton took in the sight before her fully. Lucas was wearing a white tank top, rumpled and disheveled, with a pair of stained jeans and bare feet. A broken picture frame was shattered near the wall. His eyes were tainted with red webs, evidence of his tears. A red tank top of Brooke's was in the bed; it was evident that he had been sleeping with it, if he had been sleeping at all.

"What happened?" Peyton asked, her voice genuinely concerned.

"I fucked up," he said, and his voice cracked as tears filled his eyes once again. Peyton was taken aback; she had never seen Lucas like this. He had always saved her, never the other way around. "I upset Brooke because she overheard some things said between Haley and I about you, and she was leaving with Rachel, and I got so mad, and I grabbed her and...I hurt her, Peyton. I hurt her."

He dissolved into sobs, doubling over in his chair and gripping at his blonde hair. Peyton remained near the door, but took a few steps further into the room. She would not approach him. She had promised herself that she would prevent any kind of misunderstandings from now on, and that included not touching Lucas under any circumstances.

"Lucas, Brooke loves you," Peyton reassured. "She always has. And I know for a fact that she always will. She'll forgive you for anything. That's the beauty of Brooke Davis. She has the most forgiving heart I've ever known, and if she loves you, she'll never stop. That's the kind of person she is, and what you did was wrong, Lucas. But she will forgive you for it. Whether she should or not, Brooke loves more than anyone else. It's nearly impossible to break that love."

"She hasn't forgiven you," Lucas said weakly.

Peyton cracked a half smile and reached onto his dresser, holding up the envelope she had brought by over a week ago. "Well, you never gave her this, so that might have something to do with it. I'm gonna swing this by Haley and Nathan's. I assume that's where she is?"

"Yeah," Lucas said sadly. "They've been taking care of her."

"You know they'd tell you if something is wrong," Peyton soothed. "She's all right."

"It's just killing me not to see her for myself."

"You're Brooke and Lucas. Lucas and Brooke. Do what you do best. Go show her that you love her. Show her you can't live without her, Lucas. Because obviously, you can't. But I'd shower first. You look like hell."

"Thanks," he said sarcastically. "There's not enough grand gestures in the world to make up for what I did."

"No," Peyton said bluntly. "There isn't. But there are enough to start. And the longer you wait, the worse this is going to get."

With that, Peyton left, and Lucas was left contemplating the friendship between his love and her best friend. How was it that despite anything, they would always know each other better than anyone else ever could?

Peyton knocked on the door to Haley and Nathan's apartment with bated breath. She was surprised when the girl she was looking for opened the door immediately. Brooke's eyes widened slightly, and Peyton could see that they were red, just like Luke's. There were bags under them, and Peyton felt her stomach turn at how thin and gaunt Brooke looked. She knew that most of Brooke's appearance had little to do with Lucas.

"Peyton," Brooke said politely.

"Hi Brooke," Peyton said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other nervously. "I um...I had dropped this letter for you a while ago, and I assumed you hadn't gotten it, so I wanted to bring it to you myself."

She proffered the envelope, and Brooke immediately took it. Brooke's eyes were soft as she tilted her head to the side. "Why don't you come in while I read it?"

Peyton nodded and nervously stood in the small living room while Brooke settled on the couch and read the letter.

_, _

_ I don't know where to begin. Any apology that I utter will simply seem like it's coming from the fact that you're sick. But I promise you, it isn't. The fact that you're sick simply opened my eyes. You know me. Sometimes it takes something horrible for me to see sense. _

_ For years and years, I've felt cheated. I've felt like a victim. After losing my mom, and then Ellie, and my dad always being gone, I just felt like I had a right to be a victim. But the thing is, you've been through even more. And you've never used it as an excuse for anything. You've been saving me and yourself, and you've been sacrificing anything you possibly could for me. I was ungrateful and blind. _

_ I was wrong when I said that I love Lucas. I don't love Lucas. I love Jake, but even more than that, I love you. You were willing to give up the only boy you've ever loved for me. You loved me more than him. And I've come to realize that there is nothing on earth that I love more than you, and that if anything happens to you, I don't know what I'll do._

_ You are so brave, and so beautiful, and so strong. You are loyal and fierce and I am so lucky to have had you in my life. Even if you never forgive me, I'm one of the lucky ones. One of the few lucky souls to have been loved by the remarkable Brooke Davis. _

When Brooke finally looked up, there were tears floating in her eyes, and she snatched Peyton by the thin wrist and pulled her on to the couch beside her before enclosing her in a fierce embrace. Peyton let out the breath she had been holding as she slowly hugged Brooke back, letting a few tears leak from her eyes.

"You will always be loved by Brooke Davis," Brooke mumbled into Peyton's shoulder.

"I was a two-faced, backstabbing bitch," Peyton murmured.

"But at least you know it," Brooke said wryly, and both girls giggled. They pulled away, breaking their hug and wiping their eyes. "There's something I've been learning lately. I don't exactly have the luxury of time. I don't have time to be angry. I was mad and I was hurt, but I never stopped caring for you and loving you."

"You're too good for this world, Brooke," Peyton said, leaning back.

"Maybe that's why I'm gonna be taken from it."

"Don't," Peyton said fiercely. "Don't you dare talk like that, Brooke Penelope Davis."

"Sorry," Brooke said. "It's usually your job to be the cynic."

"Exactly," Peyton said. "So you do your job and be optimistic and obnoxiously sunny."

Brooke smiled. "I will. So tell me, do you have everything planned for this Jake shindig tomorrow, or do you need my expertise?"

And with that, the dynamic duo that was Peyton Sawyer and Brooke Davis was mended. There would always be some fraying in the strings, but the fabric of their friendship was simply too old and too strong to ever be torn.

The next day was the homecoming party for Jake and Jenny at the Rivercourt. Haley, Brooke, and Peyton had spent several hours in the early morning putting up streamers, setting up table cloths, and prepping food. Haley had been unsurprised at the reunion of Brooke and Peyton, and despite some small remnants of tension, the three girls had giggled and danced while setting up. Brooke sat down to rest several times, but it was the healthiest Haley had seen her look in days, and for that she was grateful.

When Jake arrived, Peyton walked toward him slowly, seemingly unsure of what to do. His face had broken into a beaming smile and he grabbed her around the waist with the arm that wasn't holding Jenny, giving her a tender, short kiss. Haley, Brooke, Nathan, Skills, Mouth, Rachel, and Bevin had all cheered and whistled and the festivities began. Everyone chatted and caught up, enjoying food and each other's company. Only Haley, Nathan, Rachel, and Peyton knew that Brooke was ill, and she shrugged off their worried glances when she began to play basketball with Skills.

She had just leapt onto his back with a shriek when a sudden silence descended over her friends. While only a few of them knew she was sick, they all knew that Lucas Scott and Brooke Davis were having some kind of massive issue in their relationship. And so, when he stood a few feet away from where Brooke was clinging to Skills, a tense hush descended over them. Skills froze, dropping the ball of out of his hands and slowly lowering Brooke to the ground.

"Brooke," Lucas croaked.

"Lucas," she said coldly. She was wearing a floaty floral print sundress, her hair in pretty curls, and Lucas felt his heart twist at her beauty; and the fact that she would not meet his eyes. She snatched the ball off the ground and turned to Skills with a playful wink. "Game on!"

Lucas sighed worriedly, running a hand over his blonde hair as he watched her play. He wasn't sure what her physical state was like, wasn't sure if she should be doing this. He could see her chest heaving more than it should be, and he wanted more than anything to drag her off the court into the shade of a tree, but he knew that he couldn't. He went over to talk to Jake and Mouth next to where Haley and Peyton played with Jenny. The boys had been conversing for several minutes when he heard Nathan's deep voice shout.

"Brooke!"

Brooke was being supported by Skills, who looked extremely alarmed. The brunette looked weak as she practically collapsed into his arms. Nathan had run over to them at a brisk jog, lifting Brooke into his arms as she panted, her eyes closed. She tucked her face into Nathan's neck. She apparently whispered something to him and he nodded, turning abruptly and walking her toward her car. Haley briskly walked over and opened the door to the front seat as he put her gently into it. She gave him a kiss and the two seemed to discuss something. Lucas couldn't take it anymore; he jogged over as well, ignoring the eyes of all of their friends. He ignored Nathan and Haley and opened the door to the car, sliding into the drivers seat and brushing Brooke's curls out of her face.

"Just breathe, pretty girl," he murmured. Her skin was hot, searing against his fingers. She opened her eyes and they looked rather disoriented.

"Don't, Lucas," she mumbled.

He withdrew, biting his lip as tears came into his eyes once again. "Brooke, please. Just let me take you home."

Brooke breathed out a small laugh. "Where's that exactly?"

"My house, Brooke. Please. Let me take you home."

She looked up at him now, and her eyes were misty. "Home is where you're meant to feel safe."

Lucas felt as though he'd been punched in the gut. "Brooke, listen-"

"No, Lucas, you listen. I've barely slept in days, because I sit up at night missing you, missing your weight in bed beside me, missing your warmth and your smell and your arm over my waist. And then I look at my wrists," she held up her arms, "and I remember the look in your eyes and I get chills and I cry because I didn't even recognize you in that moment. I am going through so much right now. I am so, so scared, Lucas. And what I need right now is security. What I need is someone who can make me feel safe. And I don't think that you can do that for me."

Lucas stared at her wrists, where yellowing bruises tainted her porcelain skin, and began to sob uninhibited. In between his cries were muffled sounds of apologies and vows of love and promises, but Brooke made no show of sympathy, she simply sat, her eyes closed as she leaned her head back in exhaustion. Haley and Nathan had moved slightly away from the car, but still close enough to be keeping an eye on the situation. Brooke wanted to grin at the protective glint in Nate's eyes, and the weary looks that Haley was shooting Lucas; she knew that Haley was worried more for her than for her best friend, and it comforted her to know that the two of them were on her side.

Lucas finally began to calm, taking deep, shaking breaths. "I don't deserve you, Brooke. I hope that you find someone that can make you feel safe, that can give your heart a place to call home." He kissed her wrists softly, and Brooke shivered. "I love you, pretty girl. I always will."

He got out of her car and walked away, not looking back. Nate soon replaced him in the drivers seat.

"Are you okay, Brookie?" he asked. Tears were silently beginning to make their way down Brooke's face, and she let out one strangled sob before whispering her reply.

"I really don't know."


	12. Chapter 12

"No, no, no," Nathan said firmly the following Friday night as Brooke exited the bathroom of the apartment. She was wearing a tiny purple dress, lowcut and skintight, with a pair of silver pumps. Her makeup was impeccable and glittery, and her hair was sleek and straight. "Absolutely not, Davis. You are not going out."

"Who made you my father?" Brooke said defensively. "This is the first night in weeks I've felt good, Nate. You told me yourself that I just need to take advantage of my good days."

"Yes, but not to party."

"Come on," Brooke whined. "I won't get into too much trouble, I promise."

"That's so comforting."

Haley entered then with bags of food, dropping them on the counter. "I brought some...woah, Tig, what pole are you gonna be climbing on? I'll make sure to bring my dollar bills."

Brooke glared at her but smiled. "I'm going to a party with Rachel. You two are more than welcome to join us."

"I don't think that's a good idea, sweetie," Haley said gently.

"I want to feel normal," Brooke said, and her voice sounded so vulnerable, as she stood there all dressed up, that Haley and Nathan's resolve began to crumble. "I want to feel beautiful and normal again."

Haley sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Give me twenty minutes to get ready."

Brooke squealed and hugged her friend, bouncing into the kitchen to put away the food Haley had brought. Nathan rolled his eyes and followed his wife into their bedroom, which had really become Brooke's as well. Most nights, the three of them all slept in the same bed. To some, this would be strange, but for them, it seemed normal.

Nate watched as his wife put on a pair of tight jeans and a sparkly top and grinned at the fact that she could look so sexy in something so modest. She turned to him with a worried expression.

"We've got to watch her tonight. She's doing this for the wrong reasons. She's upset about Lucas and I'm scared she's going back to old Brooke."

Nathan sighed. "I still can't believe he walked away from her like that. I can understand why, I just didn't think that he would."

Haley grimaced as she applied her makeup. "I talked to him in homeroom today. He's like a weird pod Lucas. He told me that she deserves someone better who can take care of her, then suggested that I should step aside and let you have her."

Nathan stood, enraged. "What the fuck? Haley, you know that it's not like that between Brooke and I, right?"

Haley smiled tenderly. "Of course it isn't. I love the way that you care for her. You love her like a sister, just like I do."

Nathan calmed at that. "I didn't realize he'd be so jealous that I've been helping her."

Haley shrugged. "People do weird things when they're hurt. He's not the most rational person right now. He's basically lost the girl he loves, and she's sick. He's scared."

Nathan nodded. "I hope they work it out. I think he's learned his lesson at this point. Luke is a good guy. He just needs to make mistakes. He's the kind of person that has to learn the hard way."

Haley agreed and took his hand as they gathered an excited Brooke and got in the car, speeding off to some football player's massive house where the party was.

As soon as Brooke walked in, Haley could see that Brooke was back in her element. Old Brooke's element, that is. She watched as nearly every guy in the room did a double take at her long legs and the ample amount of cleavage that she was displaying. She grinned demurely at several of them, wandering off. Haley sighed and leaned into Nathan.

"I can't wait to just be boring," Haley said. "Why can't we have married friends?"

Nathan chuckled. "Because we're eighteen, Hales."

"We should start spending more time with Jake and Peyton. They've got the whole baby thing going on."

Nathan laughed. "Even more of a ball and chain than marriage."

Haley felt her stomach drop at his words. She was going to have to tell him soon, she knew it. There was no way around it, as she'd start showing any day now. Hearing him talk about having kids like that made her sick. What if he left? What if he didn't want this? What if she was going to ruin his life?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud cheer, and she turned to see Brooke chugging straight out of a tequila bottle as a crowd chanted a count of how many seconds she was at it.

"Jesus fucking Christ," Nathan cursed. "The girl is on chemo and she's chugging tequila."

Haley groaned. "There's nothing we can do. We just have to let her do this."

Nathan kissed her temple and nodded, leading her into the kitchen and pouring them both sodas.

It was hours before they saw Brooke again. Haley had called Peyton to invite her and Jake; since Jake had moved back in with family, they had a sitter. Peyton arrived with Jake and grabbed a beer.

"Where's Brookie Monster?"

Nathan wordlessly pointed to where Brooke was wildly dancing on the makeshift dance floor to "Kids" by MGMT. Her skin was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, and as she twirled and gyrated around, guys circled her like sharks.

"Oh my," Peyton said with a wry smile, taking a sip of her beer.

"PEYTON!" Brooke yelled over the music. "GET OVER HERE. IT'S OUR SONG."

Peyton laughed, handing her beer to Jake with a small kiss. She allowed her drunk best friend to pull her into a dance as they shouted the lyrics to each other. Peyton couldn't help but feel her heart swell. Not only did Brooke look the best she had in a while, but the two of them were singing and dancing together like they were thirteen in Brooke's empty house.

The song began to come to its end, and Peyton attempted to coax Brooke away from the dancing, but was ultimately unsuccessful when Brooke began to dance provactively with a dark haired boy who had to have been at least twenty. Peyton shook her head, slightly amused, and went to notify Nate that he should intiate watch dog mode.

Another hour passed, and it was mutually decided by the four friends that it was time to collect Brooke and go. Peyton offered to take Brooke for the night, allowing Nathan and Haley some much needed alone time, given the fact that Brooke had been staying with them in their one bedroom for a couple of weeks. They accepted the offer and left, leaving Peyton and Jake to hunt down Brooke. They split up, and when neither of them could find Brooke downstairs, Peyton began to feel nervous. She climbed the stairs tentatively.

After walking in on several images that Peyton would never be able to unsee, she reached the last door in the hallway. She could hear the raspy voice of Brooke, mumbling and slurring. Peyton tried the door but it was locked. She began to bang on it, but no one came to the door. She flashed back to junior year, when Brooke had saved her at a college party and called Lucas. Terror flooded her as she used all of her strength to ram her thin frame against the door. No luck.

Just then, Jake came up the stairs to report that he, too, had not found Brooke. He found his girlfriend hysterically ramming her body against a door. "We've got to get in there, Jake, I can hear her."

Jake nodded, gritted his teeth, and used his own body to ram the door, which burst open. They rushed in to find the same dark haired guy struggling to pull Brooke back into bed. She had obviously just struggled her way out from under him, and she stood on one high heel in just a bra and panties, her dress rumpled on the floor, the zipper broken.

"Stop," she was meekly mumbling. "I said no. I said no."

Before Jake even had time to react to the anger that was building inside him, his girlfriend and launched herself at the man, drawing back her right hand and punching him square in the face. Blood began to pour out of his nose.

"She wanted it," the guy yelled. "What the fuck."

"You sick, disgusting son of a bitch!" Peyton screamed, punching him again. "I'll kill you, I swear."

"Peyt," Jake said, grabbing her around the waist as he pulled her off of him. "He's not worth it, babe, come on. Let's get Brooke home safe."

Brooke was whimpering, her arms wrapped around herself. Peyton picked up her dress and helped her into it quickly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and taking her to the car with one last furious glare.

"Thanks P. Sawyer," Brooke muttered. "I can't believe...I'm so sorry...I shouldn't have..."

"It's okay, sweetie," Peyton soothed as Brooke began to cry. "Let's get you home, okay? Then you can tell me what happened."

"Peyt, I really don't feel good," Brooke moaned, leaning over and vomiting next to the car.

"It's gonna be okay, B," Peyton soothed as Brooke wretched. "Do you feel worse than just drunk sick? Do you think there's something else in your system?"

"Everything looks...looks...I can't explain," she slurred. Jake groaned and helped her into the car.

"I think someone gave her LSD," Jake said. Peyton looked at him sharply.

"What?"

"I saw Nikki do it once, this is pretty much what she looked like."

"Oh my God," Peyton breathed. "I don't know what to do. She shouldn't have even been drinking with her meds and her treatment, let alone...oh my God. Oh my fucking God."

Brooke was now lying in the back seat, crying and pulling at her all ready thin hair.

"I'm scared," she whimpered. "I'm scared."

"I know, honey, it's okay," Peyton said, trying to compose herself.

"I want Lucas," Brooke cried.

"Honey, I don't think you mean that."

"I WANT LUCAS!" Brooke began to screech hysterically, hitting herself and anything in her reach. Jake abruptly turned the car, heading in the direction of Lucas's house. 

"Jake-"

"Peyt, if this is what it takes to make them see sense, then we're going."

Peyton sighed and leaned back, resigning herself to the fact that there was very little she could do to help her friend. She crossed her fingers that Lucas could help.

Lucas sat up in his bed, reading _The Winter of Our Discontent, _once again moping his loss of Brooke. He still had most of her things in his room. He hadn't moved them; he wanted to be able to pretend that she was still there. His mother was out with Deb of all people, and he was surprised that she hadn't come home yet, as it was nearing one in the morning. A sudden knock on his door startled him, and he got up to open it, slightly disoriented from hours of reading and a bit of crying as well.

Jake and Peyton stood on his porch, supporting Brooke in between them. She was crying and moaning. Lucas felt his heart drop near his feet.

"What the hell is going on?" Lucas asked, alarmed. He let them in and they dumped Brooke on to the bed.

"We were at a party," Jake began to explain. "She was really drunk, and we went to find her, and some guy was-"

"Some how we think she got drugged," Peyton said, cutting Jake off while stepping on his foot. Lucas didn't need to know about the guy, not yet. Not when they didn't know the story yet.

"I think she was slipped LSD and she's having a bad trip," Jake filled in.

"Damn it," Lucas murmured. "Why did you bring her here?"

"She asked for you," Jake shrugged. "We were on our way to Peyton's and she started screaming that she wanted you."

"Lucas," Brooke cried from the bed. "Lucas I'm scared."

He went to her and tentatively sat beside her. He turned to Jake and Peyton. "Get her some water. And one of you go on my laptop and search for what we're supposed to do. And drugs and chemo."

Jake went into the kitchen while Peyton began to click away on the laptop keys. Brooke reached out and grabbed at Lucas, pulling him down to lay with her. Her eyes were screwed shut and she gripped at him desperately.

"Make it stop," she sobbed. "Make it all stop."

"Sh," Lucas soothed, rubbing her back. He felt her zipper, realizing it was undone and broken. He sat up, Brooke yelping as if burned as he did so. "Peyton, why the fuck is her dress like that?"

Peyton bit her lip. "Um. There was an incident."

"What do you mean," Lucas said, keeping his voice dangerously calm. 

"When we found her, she was fighting some guy off of her. I punched him a few times and I think I broke his nose. Brooke was in her bra and underwear and the dress was broken."

Lucas stood, his hands clenching into fists. He paced back and forth a few times before punching the wall in fury. Brooke screamed.

"You're scaring me, I'm scared, make it stop!"

Jake came in with the water, startled by the sound, spilling it on the ground. Peyton groaned, putting her head in her hands. Lucas pulled Brooke up, lifting her dress over her head gently. He noticed bruises on her breasts, on her ribs, on the bones of her hips. She shivered and cried as he stared at them, aghast.

"You two can go home," Lucas said in a low, broken voice. "I'll take care of her."

"I don't know..." Peyton began.

"Trust me, Peyton. I'll take care of her."

Peyton scanned his eyes for a moment before nodding and leading Jake out of Luke's room. Lucas picked up one of his baby blue t-shirts that he happened to know was one of her favorites because of its softness and gently put it over her body. He lifted her into bed, pulling the covers over her as she continued to cry.

"It's okay, you're safe now," Lucas whispered, kissing her forehead as a tear leaked out of his eye and dampened her hair. "You're home."

He waited up with her for hours while she cried and writhed and screamed and kicked until she finally fell asleep. He did not sleep a wink, simply sitting up in bed beside her. The image of her bruised skin was burned into his brain. He knew it didn't take much to bruise her these days, but regardless, the fact that anyone's hands had been on his pretty girl, especially so violently, sickened him. He felt, in that moment, that he could honestly kill anyone who hurt her. And when he remembered the bruises he had left on her wrists, it made him want to die.

But then she snuggled toward him in her sleep, and he was reminded of the fact that despite his mistakes, if she had been with him, none of this would have happened. And so he vowed to keep her safe, to never walk away again. He would never let her wonder where her home was, never again.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: I've had a renewed vigor for this story. Thank you all for sticking around. Your reviews mean a lot to me, every single one of them. I'm putting in the story title between "scenes" of sorts, because I realize that the asterisks I was using haven't been showing up on the site. Hopefully this works better! Again, thanks for reading :) **

When Brooke awoke the next morning, the first thing she registered was her pounding headache. The second was the soreness of her body; her breasts and her ribcage, as well as her hips, felt remarkably tender. She then felt the tightness of her skin, caused by obvious tears. Lastly, she breathed in, and instantly recognized where she was before she even opened her eyes. She was in the bed of Lucas Scott.

She slowly opened her eyes, wincing both from the pain and from the confusion. Lucas was sitting in his chair, typing on his laptop. He glanced over at her wearily.

"How are you?" he asked tentatively. She slowly began to sit up before putting a hand to her head.

"Dizzy and sick feeling. What...what happened?"

"You um...Peyton and Jake brought you here. We think you were slipped LSD last night. Some guy...some guy tried to um..."

"Tried to what?" she snapped, fear lighting up her eyes.

"We're not sure. We were hoping you'd remember," Lucas said with a tired sigh. It was evident that he had not slept, and the smell of coffee was strong in the air. Brooke suddenly felt sick as she realized why her body was so sore.

"Oh my God," she said, her voice thick with tears.

Lucas cautiously sat on the bed beside her, slowly reaching out to pat her hand. She looked up at him with terrified, broken eyes. He held out his arms slowly and she sunk into them, breathing deeply, trying to stop herself from panicking or crying.

"I'm so stupid," she whimpered. "I'm so stupid. My doctor told me how bad it would be for me to drink. And not only did I drink, but I managed to get drugged. I'm so fucking stupid."

"Brooke, you're not stupid," Lucas said firmly. "This was not your fault. You drank because you were sad, because you wanted to feel normal again. And whatever prick drugged you did it. Not you."

"I'm scared to look at myself," Brooke whispered. "I'm so sorry, Luke. I am so sorry."

Lucas pulled away, holding her at arms length. "No, Brooke. I'm sorry. I hurt you. I physically harmed you. And then I had the nerve to walk away from you. You do deserve better than me, Brooke, but until you find that person and choose to walk away yourself, I will be here."

"You're all I want," she said, her voice cracking. "I was just scared."

Lucas swallowed the lump in his throat. "I promise that you will never be given a reason to be scared of me again, Brooke."

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too," Lucas said tenderly, and the expression on his face reminded her of the first time he had said those words, out in his front yard. "Why don't you go shower? You'll feel better. I'll make you some coffee." She crinkled her nose. "Tea, then." She giggled slightly and slowly got out of bed, making her way to the bathroom. He began to leave the room, but she grabbed his wrist at the last second.

"I'm a little scared to do this alone," she said, looking at the ground. She tugged at the hem of the t-shirt she was wearing nervously. Lucas nodded in understanding and began to slowly, gently lift it off her body. He slowly reached out and touched the bruises on her. Her eyes slowly closed and she drew in a shaky breath. He withdrew his hand but she snatched it back, opening her eyes slowly. He turned her so that she faced the mirror and she gasped at the bruises that she saw, violent colors against her skin.

Lucas placed a gentle, chaste kiss on her neck. "You're beautiful."

She shook her head. "I'm disgustingly thin and now I'm covered in bruises," she cried.

Lucas shook his head against the back of her neck, kissing it again. He slowly ran a hand down her spine and unhooked her bra, slowly sliding it off of her. She bit her lip as it fell to the floor. He ran his hands up from her hips, gently, slowly, kissing her neck and shoulder softly as he did so. She slowly began to stop crying, chills covering her skin. Lucas pulled away and turned on the shower for her, kissing her on the head and turning to leave. Brooke reached out once more.

"Don't go," she said. "Join me."

"Brooke," Lucas said gently. "You have no idea how badly I would love to, but I don't know if you're ready for that right now. We have a lot to work through, and after last night-"

She cut him off with a kiss. "I'm a big girl, Lucas."

She slipped his shirt off slowly, tugging at the sweats he wore. He stepped out of them, and then out of his boxers as she slithered out of her panties. She grabbed his hands and placed them on her chest.

"Make me feel beautiful."

Lucas wrinkled his brow in concern. "Brooke, you are beautiful. You are so unbelievably gorgeous."

"Make me feel beautiful and loved," Brooke said, "please."

He nodded, understanding her need. He led her into the shower, kissing her with slow, soft passion. She breathed out a small moan as he kissed her jaw, down her neck, down to her chest, spending extra time there, stroking her with his hands. He kissed nearly every inch of her, touching her with a feather-light stroke, drinking in every inch of her. She pulled his face to hers and kissed him, hard, reaching down to his waist, but he caught her hand.

"Brooke," he groaned. "I want you so bad. But I want it to be perfect, and I want you to feel one hundred percent safe."

She bit her lip and nodded, letting him wash her hair and wash her body, as she did the same for him. When they emerged from the shower in puffs of steam, Brooke Davis felt revived and renewed. And Lucas Scott's eyes no longer looked empty; the blue had lightened, had become the color of aquamarine.

They were back. It was all going to fall back into place.

**BoxUpAllTheButterflies**

Brooke and Lucas opted for spending that Saturday in bed, watching Weird Science and eating popcorn. Brooke had contacted Nathan, Haley, Peyton, and Jake, letting them know that she was safe and that she would be with Lucas for the weekend. Karen was thrilled when she came into the kitchen to find Brooke making tea in her pajamas. The older woman had embraced her gently, placing a kiss on her temple and whispering a loving "welcome home, sweetheart".

"How have you been feeling?" Lucas asked as the credits for Weird Science rolled and Brooke put in a DVD of The O.C.

Brooke shrugged. "It depends on the day. Some days are great, but some are absolutely awful. Nathan almost took me to the hospital on Wednesday because I coughed up some blood."

"Brooke!" Lucas gasped. "You should have gone."

"I went to the doctor the next morning!" Brooke defended. "He keeps suggesting that I go on independent study. I got a notice in the mail that I may not graduate because of my absences."

"Brooke, you're sick. It's not as if you're ditching."

"Yes, well, my grades aren't exactly stellar right now. I'm failing Calculus and English, as well as History."

Lucas furrowed his brow in concern. "I can tutor you, Brooke. We'll get your grades up in no time."

"I hope so," Brooke said, and she finally let herself express her fear. "What if I don't get to graduate?"

"You will graduate, Brooke," Lucas said, pulling her to him in a reassuring embrace. "I promise. I'll make damn sure of it."

"What if I don't live to graduation?" Brooke suddenly whispered after several minutes of comfortable silence.

"Brooke-"

"We can ignore it all we want, Luke, but I am sick," Brooke said firmly, wriggling out of his arms and sitting up to look him in the eyes. "There is a good chance that I'm not going to survive this."

"But there's a chance that you will," Lucas said.

Brooke closed her eyes and took a deep, shaking breath. "The doctor told me to enjoy the things that I can, even the things that might not be best for me in this state. Because my chances don't look so good anymore."

"What are you talking about, pretty girl?" Lucas asked, his voice full of panic as he sat up.

Brooke swallowed. "The only person who knows is Nate, because he was with me for this particular treatment. But the doctor told me that my body isn't responding to the treatment as he'd hoped it would."

"There has to be something else," Lucas said, forcing himself to keep his voice steady.

"There isn't really. We're doing radiation and chemo-"

"When did you start radiation?" Lucas practically yelped.

"A few days ago," Brooke said with a casual wave of her hand.

"I promise Brooke, you're going to survive this. You're Brooke Davis, damn it."

"I get it, Broody," Brooke said with a little laugh. "I just...I worry that I won't do everything that I want to do before I go, ya know? I worry that I'll never create an entire fashion line, or that I'll never get married, or that I'll never have kids, or have a chance to really change the world."

"You will, Brooke," Lucas said softly, pulling her in for a soft kiss. "I promise you will."

Brooke gave him a half smile and pressed play, settling in beside him to watch her favorite show. He watched her light up as Ryan and Marissa met for the first time, and he couldn't help but want to give her everything. To make sure that she lived not until graduation, not until she was even a hundred; to make sure she lived and accomplished everything she ever wanted, no matter how long or short that was.

Brooke Davis was like a supernova, a brilliant ball of light and swirling color. She brought that light into everybody's life, she touched everyone in some way or another. He knew that for the rest of his life, he would be forever altered by Brooke Davis, no matter how long she stayed. If she were to die right in that moment, he knew he would live the rest of his life remembering Brooke, remembering her dimpled grin and her sunny giggle, her fierce loyalty and her explosive temper.

It dawned on him, then, that he would never move on. There would be no one that could ever be even slightly comparable to Brooke Penelope Davis. Her angry words to him in a parking lot were suddenly painfully true.

_I wanted you to say that there is no one else that you could ever be with and that you would rather be alone than without me. _

He would rather live out the rest of his years alone than without Brooke. He could never kiss another's lips without missing the taste of her chapstick. He could never look into another's eyes and tell her that her loved her, not when they were not the right shade of hazel, the perfect mix of gold and green and brown. He could never lay beside another, his arm slung over her in slumber, not when his arm didn't fit perfectly between the curve between her rib cage and her hips.

Lucas Scott was going to marry Brooke Davis.


	14. Chapter 14

A week of bliss followed Brooke and Lucas's reunion. Their joy was not shared only between them; Haley and Nathan were glad to have their home to themselves again, though they would never say it out loud. Peyton and Jake were enjoying their time together, rebuilding their relationship and spending time with Jenny, who had reached up, tugged on Peyton's curls, and babbled "mama". Jake had shifted uncomfortably, opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water. Peyton's eyes had filled with tears and she had nearly crushed the baby in her embrace, causing Jake to cry as well. Brooke had walked in on the scene and in true Brooke fashion, teased them before hugging all three of them and getting a bit teary herself. The boys had played a basketball game that Friday, and the girls had cheered; even Brooke. Lucas had hardly kept his eyes on the game, watching his girlfriend like a hawk instead. He begged Whitey to allow him to watch the halftime show, but was denied, and spent most of the team meeting wringing his hands in worry, knowing that his girlfriend was most likely over exerting herself.

He had been right. When they arrived home that night, Brooke was clammier and more exhausted than ever, collapsing into bed in pain. He had given her a massage despite her exhausted protests that he must be more tired than her and held her hair back at four in the morning when she lost the contents of her stomach into the trashcan next to the bed.

It was a week after reuniting with Lucas that Brooke found herself at chemo with Peyton by her side. She was playing music out of her iPod, some poetic, angsty music that months ago, Brooke never would have allowed to play in her presence. But somehow, she had come to enjoy the soothing tones. This thrilled Peyton, who made it a personal mission to make her a mix tape nearly every day.

"So I have a brother," Peyton said suddenly as she flipped through a magazine. Brooke's eyes snapped open.

"You're kidding me. Peyton, that's amazing!"

"Yeah," Peyton said with her usual half-cynical smile. "He's Ellie's son."

"What's his name?"

"Derek," Peyton replied. "We've exchanged some e-mails and a couple of phonecalls. I think he's going to come out here to meet me. I'd really like it if you were there."

"Why?" Brooke asked, curious.

Peyton shrugged. "You're really the closest thing to family I have. He might be family by blood, but I need my real family there for this one."

Brooke grinned and reached out her arm that wasn't attached to the IV, grabbing Peyton's hand.

"Peyton, I want to tell you something."

"What's up, ?" Peyton asked, her eyes concerned.

"I've forgiven you. Completely. For everything. And I hope that you can forgive me for being so ridiculous in the way I responded to things."

"Brooke, you were completely right."

"No," Brooke insisted, shaking her head. "I never should have let something like that affect us so much. I'm just so glad that we're us. That we're able to put these things behind us in a matter of weeks. That we're so invincible."

"Remember when we made that comic book in fourth grade?" Peyton giggled. "Penelope and Elizabeth, the crime-fighting cheerleaders?"

Brooke dissolved into giggles as well. "Oh God, I had forgotten about that. We made several issues. With our loyal sidekick Royal, who threw flaming basketballs at the evil villains."

Peyton laughed, shaking her blonde curls. "We've got to find those."

"Yes, we do," Brooke chuckled, squeezing her friend's hand. "I don't know where I'd be without you, Peyton. And when it comes down to it, I'm glad that you and Lucas have been the way you've been."

Peyton's eyes widened at this. "What?"

"I don't think I'd feel right, if the girl I love and the boy I love didn't love each other," Brooke said with a small shrug. "Not that I want you two to be in love with each other or anything. Just...it's important to me that you love each other. You might need each other one day."

"Brooke!"

"Just please take care of him," Brooke said, her cheery demeanor gone. "I need you to promise me that you will take care of him, and that you will not let him follow me. That you'll make sure he finishes his novel and he gets it published, and he finds some beautiful girl to marry. And you make sure she loves him okay? You make sure she loves him more than anything, that she loves every bit of his flawed heart."

"Brooke, that's not going to be an issue," Peyton argued. "You're going to be that girl. You always have been and you always will be."

Brooke shook her head. "You can't let him love a ghost, Peyt."

"He won't have to, Brooke!"

"Just promise me."

Peyton swallowed before finally conceding. "I promise, Brooke."

"Thank you," Brooke whispered. They were interuppted by the arrival of Nathan, who dropped a kiss on Brooke's head and gave Peyton's shoulder a little squeeze. Brooke rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, do none of you people attend class?"

"Your boyfriend said that you would kill him if he skipped English again, and I had study hall so I came down," Nathan said by way of explanation. Brooke rolled her eyes again. "You're going to get them stuck that way, Davis."

"Shove it, Scott," she said with a smirk before suddenly paling and shutting her eyes tightly. "Oh, God."

"Brooke," Peyton said in concern, leaning forward. "Should I grab someone?"

"Just a bucket," Brooke choked out. Peyton hurriedly grabbed a plastic container and handed it to her friend, who wretched into it violently, coughing and spluttering. Nathan winced and Peyton glared at him.

"Nate, go get her doctor."

Nathan jogged down the hall while Peyton continued to rub her back soothingly, holding her breath to avoid the rank smell. Dr. Grant entered the room briskly with Nathan tailing behind him. He peered at Brooke with concern, looking at her monitors. He hit a button on her bed, calling in a nurse as he picked up her chart. He scanned it and furrowed his brow. Peyton could feel her heart begin to pound in her chest. She hated hospitals, but she had braved it for Brooke today.

"Brooke, this doesn't look good," the doctor noted solemnly. She nodded as she continued to vomit. A nurse was taking her temperature with a thermometer in her ear, seeing as Brooke's mouth was quite occupied.

"One hundred and three," the nurse said in a clipped tone. Peyton grabbed Nate's arm and squeezed, terrified.

Brooke moaned and leaned back, and blood was visible, dripping from the corner of her mouth.

"Brooke!" Nathan exclaimed, his voice strained and weak. She opened her eyes weakly.

"Call Lucas," Brooke mumbled. "And Karen."

Peyton nodded and dashed out of the room, eager for some respite from the painful image of her best friend. Her hands were shaking as she dialed the familiar number that was no longer on her speed dial. It went to voicemail after a couple of rings; she figured he had hit ignore, seeing as he was in class. She tried twice more before finally receiving a slightly frustrated answer.

"Peyton, I'm in English," Lucas huffed. "And you should be in...History, right?"

"Yes, right," Peyton snapped. "But I went to chemo with Brooke and she's bad Luke, really, really bad."

"What do you mean?" Lucas practically yelled.

"She's got a hundred and three degree fever and she was throwing up for so long...and blood was coming out of her mouth."

"I'll be there, tell her I love her and I'll be there soon," Lucas said hurriedly. The line clicked off, and Peyton slid down the wall of the hospital hallway, scrolling through her contacts for Karen's name.

"Hi, Karen, this is Peyton," she said shakily when the woman answered. "I'm here at the hospital with Brooke and she's doing really poorly. She asked me to call you and let you know."

"I'll be right down there," Karen said softly. "Thank you for calling, Peyton."

"See you soon."

Peyton then sent a text message to both Haley and Jake with an update, her fingers trembling as she struggled to regain her composure. Brooke had always been strong for her. Now was her time to be strong for Brooke. She stood, shoving her shaking hands in her back pockets and going back into Brooke's room with a deep breath and fingers crossed.

The doctor was playing with the machines around her, altering medicines and barking orders at a nurse. Nathan sat next to Brooke, running his hands up and down the inside of her arm. She had always been comforted by that, since they were children.

It was only about fifteen minutes before the doctors left just as Lucas came flying into the room, immediately kissing Brooke's forehead and leaning his own against it as he collapsed onto the bed next to her. He was slowly shaking his head back and forth, whispering something inaudible. Peyton signalled to Nathan and the two of them silently withdrew from room 536.

"I love you, pretty girl," Lucas whispered. "I love you. I love you. I love you."

"I know," Brooke groaned weakly. "I love you, too, boyfriend."

Brooke felt a hot tear on her face, but her own eyes were dry. She pushed Lucas back a little and looked him in the eyes, finding them spilling over with silent tears.

"I can't imagine my life without you in it, Brooke," Lucas said, his voice strangled. "Don't leave me, Brooke. Don't ever leave me."

Brooke felt her heart break. He looked just like the scared little boy he had appeared to be at Keith's funeral.

"I'm trying not to, Luke," Brooke whispered, raising a weak hand to his cheek. He grasped at it desperately. "I promise you that."

"I know," he said. "I'm sorry. This isn't about me, or even us. This is about you. And getting you better."

Brooke bit her lip and sighed. "They're going to keep me overnight, at least."

Lucas nodded. "Good. I'll have Haley bring me some clothes and your favorite pillow."

"I'll be fine by myself," Brooke attempted to argue. She immediately silenced herself at the intense look in his eyes. "But it would be nice to have company."

He finally smiled and gave her a tender kiss, despite the obvious stench of vomit in the room.

"Oh, Broody," Brooke laughed weakly, coughing a bit. "You know it's love when you'll kiss a girl who vomited blood just minutes ago."

Lucas managed a half-hearted laugh. She was still his Brooke; cheery as ever.


	15. Chapter 15

The next morning, Brooke coaxed an unwilling Lucas into attending at least half of his classes. And that is how she found herself quite alone and bored, listening to the beeping of her heart monitor as she fruitlessly attempted to work on the homework packet that had been delivered to her for the week. She groaned, running her hands over her face. How did she get here? How was she dying? And why, oh why, did she even care about homework anymore?

"Brooklyn," a sudden voice broke her out of her thoughts. Brooke looked up and nearly screamed.

"Mom," she said breathlessly. "What are you doing here?"

Victoria Davis wrinkled her nose and shook her perfectly coiffed hair. "Your doctor called me and insisted that I come. He's a prominent member of the club, of course I couldn't tell him that I wanted to stay on holiday."

Brooke rolled her eyes to mask her hurt. "Oh, but of course not."

"So," Victoria said uncomfortably, after a minute of silence. "You're really sick, then."

"Yes, mom," Brooke stated sharply through gritted teeth. "I am."

Her mother suddenly took a seat beside her bed. "Brooklyn, I know I haven't been-"

"Please, mom, call me Brooke," Brooke pleaded. "I've gone by Brooke since kindergarten."

"It's so very common."

"I like being common," Brooke deadpanned. "Because nothing else about me is."

Her mother seemed to consider this before resuming her previous speech. "I know that I haven't been what many would consider a good mother." Brooke snorted derisively at this, and Victoria shot her a look. "But...Brooke, you must understand. I never planned this life for myself."

Brooke stared at her. "Yes, mom, you did. You were raised to want to marry rich and live a high society life. Same way you raised me."

Victoria gave her a smile, a small one, one of the few Brooke had ever seen in her life. "Yes, I was raised that way. But when I was seventeen, I met a boy. His name was Steven, and he was the same side of town as your...Lucas, is it?" Brooke nodded. "He was very smart, very bright, very handsome; but because of his family and where he came from, I was forbidden by my father to see him. He set me up with your father at a country club dinner and from then on out, I never spoke to Steven again."

Brooke blinked. "Have you ever loved Dad?"

Victoria sighed, a long suffering sigh, and it occurred to Brooke that this was the most real her mother had ever appeared. "No, I'm afraid not. When you became friends with Peyton, I pretended to disapprove, but I was thrilled. I knew Anna Sawyer, and I knew she would help guide you in a way that I was incapable of."

"You could have guided me and mothered me yourself," Brooke argued.

Victoria shook her head. "I never wanted children, Brooke. I don't say that to hurt you, I simply say it as fact. I don't have a maternal bone in my body, I am the first person to admit that. But I am sorry that you were born to two parents who should never have been allowed to have a child."

Brooke took in this information and nodded curtly. "I appreciate the apology, mom."

Victoria nodded and gave Brooke an awkward kiss on the forehead. "I've rented you somewhere to live." Brooke began to protest, and Victoria held up a hand. "I've hired you a caretaker, a very nice young man, and I've rented you a small home."

"I'm staying with Karen and Lucas."

"Brooke, I know they love you and care for you and I am very grateful for that. There's plenty of room for them to visit, and Lucas can live with you if you'd like. It's a four bedroom just a few streets away. It's closer to the hospital."

Brooke weighed these options before finally conceding with a curt nod. "Fine. But I don't need a caretaker."

"Brooke," her mother sighed.

"Mom, I don't want one!"

"I'm doing what I know how to do," her mother said, resigned. "And that is to hire the best help and facilities. Please, let me do the little bit of mothering that I'm capable of."

Brooke sighed and leaned back against her pillows, closing her tired eyes. "Fine."

She heard her mother's heels clicking toward the door. "Brooke? Just because I've never loved your father, and because I never wanted children, doesn't mean I've never loved you, or that I've regretted you for a second."

Victoria Davis then exited, and Brooke cried, for she realized that it was the first time in her life that she had ever felt loved by her mother.

Lucas returned a few hours later, practically force feeding her chicken broth. When he was done with his task, she took a deep breath and told him about what had happened with her mother.

"No, no, no," Lucas said adamantly. "Brooke, you're staying with me and my mom."

"Luke, this is the only good thing my mom has ever done for me," Brooke argued. "You can come stay with me. It could be nice. Like having our own place."

"With a caretaker," Lucas said with distaste. "And who would stay with my mom?"

Brooke sighed. "I'll be fine, Luke. Like you said, I'll have a caretaker. It's not like I'll be alone."

"Who is this woman anyway, this caretaker?"

Brooke looked away uncomfortablly. "My mom actually mentioned something about the caretaker being a um...a him?"

"Absolutely not!" Lucas exclaimed.

"Be reasonable, Lucas Eugene Scott!" Brooke snapped, having enough. "I am not your property and I will not be treated like it."

Lucas sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I know, pretty girl. I just get a little jealous is all."

Brooke giggled at the pouty expression on his face and pulled his face to hers for a gentle kiss. "There's nothing to be jealous of, Broody."

He smiled and rubbed his nose against hers. "I love you, Brooke. And if you think this is what's best for you, then I'll support you. Just know you can always come home."

Brooke beamed. "I love you too Lucas. Thank you."

Haley came through the door, her hair askew and mascara down her face. "Brooke, I know this isn't a good time but I need my Tig. I told him and he didn't react well and OH my God, Lucas, hi."

She placed a hand over her mouth, and with that, Haley James Scott was in tears. Brooke reached out to her from her immobile place on the bed, scooting over to make a small sliver of room where she could sit. She drew her into a hug and silenced Lucas with a look over Haley's shoulder.

"It's okay, Hales," Brooke soothed. "I'm sure he's just in shock. He just needs some time to process. He loves you so much, you two are always and forever."

This seemed to only make Haley sob harder, and Brooke winced. "He-he-he he stormed out and I-I-I don't know where he-he went!"

"He'll be home tonight," Brooke assured firmly. "I know he will. He would never risk losing you, Tutor Wife. Never. I've known Nathan for a long, long time. And if it wasn't for you, I don't know who he'd be. You saved him and you made him the man he is today. He knows that. You know that."

Haley sniffled and nodded into Brooke's shoulder. "I don't want to lose him but I can't lose my baby."

Lucas's eyes became the size of saucers as Brooke narrowed hers to slits in order to keep him quiet. He held his hands up in silent surrender. "You won't have to lose either of them. You're not going to lose anyone."

"Not even you?" Haley cried.

Brooke heaved a sigh. "Hales, you know I can't promise you that."

"I need you to promise me that!" Haley exclaimed, becoming hysterical. "I need you to promise me that you're not going anywhere! That it's going to be like before. That even if everyone else has turned their back on me that you're still going to be there with ice cream and soap operas and a one bedroom apartment."

Brooke pulled Haley off of her shoulder and wiped the tears from her friend's face. "Haley, I can't promise you that. But I can promise you that I will try my damn hardest, okay? And that no matter what happens, _you _will be okay. Even if everyone turns their back, you'll have this baby. Who will love you more than anything, because you are going to be the most kick ass mom this world has ever seen. God knows you've practically mothered me into commission. I love you, Haley, and you're going to be okay. It's going to be okay, but you've got to pull yourself together because right now, you're not helping anyone. Not yourself, not the baby, and not Nathan."

Haley nodded, wiping away the remainder of her tears with a deep breath. She turned to Lucas with a quaking smile. "Surprise?"

Lucas got up and came around Brooke's bed to take his best friend into his arms. "It's gonna be okay, Hales. I wish you had told me sooner, but it's gonna be all right. I can't believe I'm gonna be an uncle."

"Brooke, I need-oh," a deep voice came from the door. All three occupants of the room looked up to find Nathan standing there, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck. Haley stood quickly, hastily trying to fix her appearance. Lucas felt the urge to punch his brother for making his best friend hysterical, but could understand his fears, and Brooke simply leaned her head back onto her pillows with a huff of frustration.

"Can't a girl with cancer get a bit of a break?"

All three of them looked at her and opened their mouths to apologize. "Oh stop, I'm kidding. Hales, Luke, could you give me and Nate a minute?"

Haley bit her lip but nodded and Lucas led her from the room with a furtive look at his brother, who approached Brooke's bed.

"Talk to me, best friend."

"I'm scared, Brookie," he said, and his voice cracked. It reminded Brooke of their first sleepover in preschool, when he had spent the night in her massive room and there was a lightning storm. Shadows were everywhere, her parents were nowhere to be found, and the only adult was a slightly drunk nanny downstairs who paid no attention to their cries for help. She patted her bed and he sat down where Haley had been just minutes before.

"Nate, you promised Haley always and forever. And when you say always, it means no matter what, all the time. She's having your baby, Nathan, like it or not."

"I don't want to be my father."

"You won't be," Brooke said gently, squeezing his hand. "You will be the greatest father. Who plays basketball with his kid, or who learns to love whatever it is he or she is passionate about. You won't pressure them, you won't make them feel unwanted or unloved. Unlike you and I, your kid will be coming from love, Nate. That's the difference. This baby, this baby is physical proof of your love with Haley."

"I'm not gonna be able to afford this kid."

"You'll make it work. I know you will. And I can help you."

"Brooke-"

"Nate, my mom is on a huge guilt kick. She's renting me a freaking four bedroom house, hired me a caretaker, and has all ready upped my monthly allowance to an amount that I can't even manage to spend."

Nathan swallowed and took in the girl before him before giving her a huge hug. "I need to go talk to Haley and make this right."

"Damn straight you do."

"Thank you, Brooke. I don't know what I'd do without you."

As he jogged out of the room, the implications of what he said set in. While Brooke finally felt that her friends did need her, it was no longer comforting. It was scary. Here she was, confined to a hospital bed, burning up with a fever and coughing up blood. What if she did die? What would become of her friends? She couldn't bear the thought of how Haley would react, how bad it would be for her child, how it could tear apart her and Nathan's marriage. Peyton had already lost two mothers and had barely come out functioning, could she really survive losing a best friend? And Lucas; oh God, Lucas. He had just lost the only man who had ever been like a father to him. How could she then let him lose the only girl he'd ever loved? The girl he saw his future with?

**BoxUpAllTheButterFlies**

Four days later, Brooke was released and left the hospital with Peyton and Jake, who would be driving her to her new house. Lucas would be meeting them there with Karen, and Haley and Nathan would be stopping by at some point as well. All Brooke wanted was to collapse in bed and go to sleep. Sleep was really all she wanted these days, after all.

When they pulled up, Brooke felt a huge grin spread over her exhausted face. She heard Peyton sigh in relief beside her.

"A red door," Brooke giggled. 

"Lucas insisted," Peyton smirked, leading the way up the pathway to the beautiful, cottage-esque cream colored house. "It's really cute, I have to say."

"And there will always be room for my ."

Peyton smiled and threw an arm around her. "Thanks, ."

"Hoes over Caretakers. I'll boot his ass if he has a problem."

Peyton chuckled. "Well, that's a new one."

Brooke excitedly entered the house with the key that her mother had dropped off two days before; the two had had a curt conversation, and that had been that. Victoria was back to Europe and back to her unhappy marriage. She walked in to find it fully furnished and decorated in a way that was purely...Brooke. Brooke turned to Peyton with wide, confused eyes.

"I couldn't let Lucas do the decorating," she said in her slow drawl. "He knows you pretty well, but he wanted to paint your living room dark green."

Brooke crinkled her nose and stared at the burgundy living room with its brown and cream furniture. It was perfect. "I can't wait to see what you did to the rest of the place. Thank you, Peyton. I seriously...it's beautiful. You know me well."

"You bet I do," Peyton said with a light bump of her hip. "We've been trying to get rid of each other for years, Davis."

Brooke laughed at the truth in the statement before wandering up the stairs and down the hall. The first door was a red bedroom, a guest room that Peyton was obviously claiming for herself based off of the records on the wall and the color. Another guest room was a pretty sage green, and Brooke automatically mentally labeled it the Naley Cave. She came to what she presumed was the caretaker's room, and was grateful that Peyton had still decorated it, with simple beiges and blues. And lastly was her own room, with bright coral walls and creamy, puffy bedding. Brooke squealed and hopped on it with a childlike grin.

"I have a pretty new ro-om, I have a pretty new ro-om," Brooke sing-songed. Peyton laughed and dragged her off the bed.

"Come into your fancy kitchen, we have snacks and I believe that's where your caretaker is."

Brooke followed eagerly, bouncing into the kitchen, where she was met with a tan young man with dark hair who looked to be about twenty. He shot her a handsome grin before looking at Peyton with wide, disk-like eyes.

"You son of a bitch," Peyton suddenly hissed, but this time, she was not the one who moved first. Jake had to be restrained by Peyton and a weak and confused Brooke as he attempted to launch himself over the round wooden table.

"What on Earth is going on in here?" came the soft, scolding voice of Karen Roe. Lucas stood with her, rushing over to relieve Brooke and Peyton.

"Jake, what the hell?" he panted, pushing him back into the cabinets.

"That," Jake huffed, chest heaving as he pointed at the man in the kitchen, "is the bastard from that party."

Brooke's hands flew to her mouth, Peyton was grinding her teeth, and Karen remained oblivious. Lucas turned slowly, his jaw set, as he took in the man before him.

"What is going on here?" Karen once again demanded.

"Ma, I'm sorry for this," Lucas said, his voice radiating restrained rage. He did not take his eyes off of the man before launching himself at him, dragging him out of the house. Karen screamed and chased her son while Brooke simply sunk into a chair, Peyton comforting her.

Lucas threw him onto the lawn outside, climbing on top of him as he repeatedly hit him in the face.

"LUCAS!" his mother screamed. "THAT IS ENOUGH."

Had Lucas not worn himself out with his efforts, his mother never would have been able to pull him off the other man, whose face was now a bloody mess. Karen glared at her son fiercely before helping up the groaning man and apologizing profusely.

"Ma, this guy drugged and tried to rape Brooke," Lucas panted, still furious.

Karen looked at her son with raised eyebrows before calmly turning and slapping the man across the face.

"Get away from here, right now," she seethed. "If I ever find you near Brooke Davis again I will not stop what will happen to you."

The man ran off and Karen placed a hand on Lucas's face. "You're a good boy, Lucas."

Lucas grinned a little. "Only you would say that in this situation, Ma."

"A man should always protect the woman he loves," Karen said. "And I'm proud of you for doing that."

Lucas smiled softly and followed his mother into Brooke's new house, where Peyton was all ready on the phone with Victoria to tell her that the caretaker would no longer be employed.

**Author's Note: This chapter was massively drama packed, but I wanted to tie up some loose ends! I know it's improbable that he, of all people, would end up being hired by Victoria, but let's face it, a lot of things in Tree Hill are improbable. (Like Brooke and Lucas not ending up together. I mean, really?) **


	16. Chapter 16

Brooke loved her new house. She loved her room, and she loved the bathroom that was attached with a large bathtub that she thoroughly enjoyed spending time in. And more so than anything else, she enjoyed the privacy. She had spent most of her life living practically alone, and so it sometimes got annoying for her, to constantly have to talk to people. And physically, she was doing fairly well, she liked to think. She'd managed to make it to school for three days the week she was released, and was now looking forward to enjoying her weekend. It was Friday night, and there would be a Ravens playoff game; their last playoff game, which would decide if they made it to the State Championship or not. It would also be the first game Brooke cheered in in weeks.

She smiled at herself as she painted the little "R" on her cheek. Haley had gone with her the day before to get some hair pieces placed subtly into her hair; her hair was looking full and bouncy again, curled with her bangs pinned up. She had even put on a little bit more of the weight she had lost, and she looked less sickly, in her opinion.

Haley and Peyton came in just as Brooke was finishing up her makeup, also wearing their uniforms.

"Brooke Davis, the only girl on Earth who can have cancer and look like a rockstar in a cheer uniform," Peyton joked. Brooke beamed.

"You bet your scrawny ass I do."

"Are you sure you'll be okay for this?" Haley asked worriedly.

"I've got this," Brooke huffed. "I won't be doing any tumbling, just dancing. And you both know that I know this dance like the back of my hand."

"I also know that Lucas is going to have a heart attack when you do it," Peyton said. "I mean, not only is it you, sick and dancing, but it's you purposefully using the cheer team as a distraction for the other team."

Brooke rolled her eyes. "He'll be grateful when the guy guarding him is distracted. Besides which, I'm not gonna be the only one being watched like a hawk. Haley, you're pregnant and cheering. Nathan is going to be in full blown watchdog mode."

Haley groaned. "I'd forgotten about that. I was too busy focusing on the fact that I have to do a provacative dance feeling like a whale."

Brooke shot her a look, as did Peyton. "You've just started hardly showing."

"I feel like I've gained forty pounds all ready."

"All the more reason to feel sexy tonight," Brooke winked. "Now let's go."

The girls came into the gym, kissed their boyfriends who were warming up, and started stretching. The game started and Brooke watched proudly as Lucas played. However, no matter how well Lucas and Nathan were playing, it was evident that the other team had a stronger line up as a whole. Halfway through the second quarter, Lucas and Nathan both looked exceedingly frustrated. Lucas ran by her, dripping sweat.

"Go, boyfriend! You got this!" Brooke cheered, waving a pom pom. He turned to grin at her.

The guy guarding Lucas derisively snorted. "You dating Brooke Davis, Scott? I hear she hops right in bed with the highest scorer. Looks like that'll be me tonight, huh?"

Lucas went to lunge toward him when he heard Nathan across the court. "Don't be stupid, Luke! Head in the game!"

He nodded with gritted teeth while Brooke turned to her team with a mischevious smirk. "All right, girls, you ready?"

"I can't believe we're doing this," Haley groaned.

Rachel was grinning like the cat that ate the canary. "I love it. This is the first time we've ever danced facing the players during a game. Let's see what we can do."

Peyton rolled her eyes but smiled, happy to see Brooke being so sultry and mischevious. It was refreshing. It felt like things were normal. Brooke nodded to Mouth, who put on their music. Britney Spears's "Would You Hold It Against Me" pumped through the speakers as the girls began to move.

It was safe to say that Brooke Davis was back in her element. Within the first thirty seconds of the dance, one body roll and one sensual hair flip from Brooke Davis had caused the head coach of the other team to yell furiously for his team to focus as Nathan broke away with the ball. Lucas shot Brooke a look, shaking his head in amusement. She winked at him saucily as she spun onto the ground on her knees beside Rachel. The two girls smirked at each other, sliding down into the splits quickly before rising into a series of gyrating motions that was elliciting cat calls and cheers from both sides of the gym.

When the dance was finally over, Brooke was panting and lightheaded. She realized that maybe she had put a little too much effort forward; but at the same time, the high she was feeling was completely worth it. And, the boys were now winning the game.

The Tree Hill Ravens defeated their opponents by ten points, and a grinning Lucas had swept Brooke into his arms, dipping her into a passionate kiss. He grinned and looked over at the guard who had made the comment about Brooke.

"Lucky I was the top scorer, huh?" Lucas smirked.

Brooke smirked and giggled, jumping on him with her legs wrapped around his waist. "Quickly, take me to bed! Now!"

Lucas laughed, putting her down and kissing her forehead. "That dance was incredibly sexy, pretty girl."

Brooke shrugged cutely. "What can I say? It's how I am."

Lucas laughed, rolling his eyes. "Let's get you home, crazy."

"You don't want to go to the party?"

"I'm pretty worn out," Lucas said. "Plus, the last time you went to a party-"

"I wasn't with you," Brooke reminded him. "If you wanna go, we can go! Your team just made it to State, Luke! This is huge."

Lucas considered this for a moment before kissing her soundly. "It's a dream come true. But the only person I care to be with tonight is you. It's been a long few weeks."

Brooke smiled and took his hand. "Then home it is."

**BoxUpAllTheButterflies**

"Why don't you go hop in the shower? I'm gonna make us something to eat?" Brooke asked as they got to her house.

"It's fine, we can order take out," Lucas said.

"I want to," she smiled sweetly. "Besides, you need to shower. You are dripping in icky man sweat."

Lucas laughed, kissing her before going upstairs to shower. Brooke smiled and set out to cook, pulling out some pasta and some garlic bread. When Lucas came back into the kitchen thirty minutes later, Brooke was just finishing putting the food on the table. The little table had lit candles on it, the lights in the room turned off. Brooke smiled at him.

"Surprise!"

"Oh, Brooke," he said, kissing her. "I love you. This looks great."

"I hope so," Brooke said with a laugh. "If not, we have cereal."

He laughed and took a bite, his eyes widening. "Brooke Davis, you cooked food that is more than edible, it is actually delicious."

She reached across the table to whack him, and he caught her hand and kissed it.

"I'm gonna miss this," she said simply.

"What do you mean?" Lucas said quickly.

"When I'm gone," Brooke said softly.

"Brooke, don't talk like that. Did you see the way you danced tonight? That did not look like a sick girl to me. Not a girl who's going to die, at least."

Brooke giggled. "Oh, Lucas, I meant when I go to New York or L.A. for school."

Lucas stared at her for a moment before what she said clicked. "Oh. Right."

"Yeah. You and Naley will all still be here, probably at Duke or at UNC, and I'm gonna be at UCLA or one of the schools I applied to in New York."

"You applied at UNC and Duke, too," Lucas reminded her.

"To humor you," Brooke said wryly. "That's the same with UCLA and you know it."

"You just watch, something is going to happen that's going to surprise you," Lucas smirked.

Brooke sighed and rolled her eyes. "Do you think we'll be okay? If we end up far away from each other?"

"Brooke," Lucas said, adopting a serious tone. "We've made it through cheating, non-exclusive dating, a school shooting, my uncle dying, a pregnancy scare, and now this. I guarantee you that distance will be nothing to us."

"We barely made it through all of that," Brooke said meakly.

"But we did!" Lucas insisted, squeezing her hand. "And that's what's important. What's important is that I love you, and that's never going to change."

Brooke beamed and kissed him, hard. She stood. "Can you do the dishes since I cooked?"

"Do I have a choice?" Lucas laughed.

"Nope!" she chirped, sauntering up the stairs.

"Where are you going?" he called after her.

"Don't worry about it," she said, and he laughed, shaking his head as he washed the dishes.

When he finally made his way upstairs, he opened Brooke's door slowly, not sure if the silence meant she was sleeping. Candles were everywhere in her room, and soft acoustic music was coming from the speakers in the corner. Brooke, however, was nowhere to be found.

"Surprise," Brooke said from behind him. "Again."

He whipped around to find her in a pale, goldish pink nightie that was low cut, reaching barely under her butt. A slit in the front exposed a large portion of her thigh, lined with black lace. She had on black thigh-high stockings with lace, a pair of black pumps, and a matching pale pink robe. Her hair was shaken out in all its wildly curled glory, and Lucas felt himself instantly heat up.

"Brooke," he practically growled. "You are...so damn sexy. Are you sure about this? Because if you get me started here, I'm not going to be able to stop."

She laughed her throaty laugh, pushing him back slowly on to the bed, straddling his waist and kissing him deeply. He ran his hand up her back, feeling the soft satin and the warmth of her soft skin. He moaned as she ground herself on him, reaching his hands down to feel up her legs. She captured his bottom lip in her teeth suddenly and tugged, causing him to suddenly groan. She smirked into his mouth and he flipped them over, kissing and biting her neck. She let out a breathy little moan and he grinned into her skin, kissing down to her breasts as he gently slid the straps of her nightie off of her shoulders, leaving her exposed. She ran her nails over his scalp as he rubbed, kissed, and sucked her breasts, leaving her breathless underneath him. He kissed down toward her stomach, slowly peeling off the negligee as he did so. Once it was off, he removed her shoes and her stockings, slowly, kissing every inch of skin that was becoming exposed. She dragged him back up to her and took off his shirt, running her hands over his chest and down to the waistband of his shorts and boxers, which were quickly removed. In the light of the candles, they touched and explored what they hadn't dared to try in a while, not since before Nathan and Haley's wedding. When he finally entered her, they made love in a way they never had before; it had never been so sensual, so deeply passionate, so deeply connecting on so many levels. And when they lay together afterwards, Brooke sleeping on his chest, Lucas could only seem to think of the ring his mother had given him and how beautiful it would look on Brooke's perfect little finger.

**BoxUpAllTheButterflies **

The telephone ringing woke them the next morning. Brooke rolled over and picked it up with a groggy greeting.

"Hello, Brooke, hope I didn't wake you," Dr. Grant said.

"Oh hey there, Dr. Down Under," Brooke greeted, sitting up. She glanced at Lucas, who was sleepily blinking at her.

"You must be confusing me with your gyno."

Brooke burst out laughing. She liked Dr. Grant for his humor and his ability to treat her like a friend and not just a patient. "You're a sassy one, Crocodile Dundy. So why might you be calling me at ten on a Saturday morning?"

"I had a favor to ask of you."

"You do realize I'm taken, yes?" she teased.

"Brooke," he said seriously. "I mean it. I have a patient, she's almost six years old. She's got lymphoma, too, and her biggest dream is to be a cheerleader. It's all she talks about. I was thinking that maybe you could meet her, teach her a little cheer routine, something like that. If you'd be interested, you could even be her mentor of sorts. Her parents are hardly involved. I don't think she has much time left. Normally I'd go through Make a Wish, but it takes so long and you seem like the perfect person for this."

Brooke was shocked but touched. "Absolutely. That would be wonderful."

"I was thinking tomorrow afternoon? I can meet you, her, and her mother at the park at one?"

"That's perfect!" Brooke chirped. "I'll see you then."

"Thank you, Brooke, this will mean a lot to her."

"It'll mean a lot to me, too, Dr. Grant," Brooke smiled before hanging up the phone.

Brooke turned to Lucas and filled him in; he was excited for her and asked if he could come, which warmed Brooke's heart. He put so much effort to be a part of the things that meant a lot to her, and it made her so incredibly happy to see him so dedicated. She gave him a kiss, which quickly escalated, and she spent the rest of the day enjoying a little more than just her boyfriend's company.


	17. Chapter 17

Brooke arrived at the park the next day wearing her Ravens cheer uniform with her hair in a ponytail, decorated in fancy ribbons. She remembered thinking that cheerleaders looked so cool like that when she was a kid, so she dressed it up more than she normally would for a game or for practice.

Dr. Grant was there with the girl and her mom, all ready waiting. Brooke grinned and led Lucas over. "Hi, Dr. Grant. Hello, my name is Brooke and this is my boyfriend Lucas."

"This is Chance Heatherly and her nurse Charlotte. I've got to get back to the hospital. Have a good time, girls, and don't overexert her, Brooke." With that, Dr. Grant left.

"It's nice to meet you, Charlotte," Brooke said as she shook hands with the blonde woman, who grinned at her.

"Thank you so much for doing this."

"It's a pleasure," Brooke said sweetly, bending down to address Chance. "So, you wanna be a cheerleader?"

"Yes, Ms. Brooke."

Brooke laughed. "Oh, sweetie, just call me Brooke."

"Okay, Brooke. How long have you been a cheerleader?"

"Since I was eight. So almost ten years."

Chance's mouth formed a perfect little circle. "That is such a long time!"

Brooke grinned. "I know, right? So I really know my stuff. You wanna learn some cheers?"

"Yes yes yes!"

"Okay, here we go. Start with you hands on your hips like this. And let me see your best cheerleader smile!" Brooke demonstrated for her, giving her a beaming, cheery smile. Chance, with her very thin short brown hair and gappy little smile, looked like an adorable miniature of Brooke. Lucas watched as Charlotte took pictures.

"Would you mind if I got some copies of those next time?"

"Absolutely," she smiled. "So Brooke has lymphoma too?"

They watched Brooke and Chance, who were quite a distance away and obviously enthralled in their cheering. "Yeah. I'm not gonna lie, I don't fully understand it still. Some days she's great. Then there are weeks where she's a mess."

Charlotte nodded knowingly. "That'll happen. Chance can be that way and I've seen it in a lot of my patients. How long have you known Brooke?"

"About two years now," Lucas said, watching her with a smile as she adjusted Chance's little arms into a perfect L-shape. "We weren't that serious in the beginning. I messed things up a lot. But we've been together for about nine months this time around, other than the week she broke up with me because she didn't want me to have a dying girlfriend."

"She seems like a very nice girl," Charlotte said, also watching the two girls interact. "I told my friend last night that Chance would have a mentor of sorts named Brooke Davis and she seemed a bit tentative about it. She said she had a reputation."

Lucas sighed. "She does. But she earned it years ago, and it seems like there's nothing she can do to ever earn a new one. She's an amazing person and she's grown more in two years than anyone else I've ever known."

Charlotte smiled. "You seem to love her very much."

"I do."

"It takes a lot to stick by someone through something like this," she noted. "It's so incredibly painful to watch someone you love go through this."

Lucas looked at her and saw a deep, raw sadness in her brown eyes. "You've seen it a lot, huh?"

"You never expect it to be a kid," Charlotte said. "You see the commericals and the donation bins at super markets, but you never think about the fact that they're actually little people, with so much potential and huge hearts. Chance probably doesn't have much time left. She always wanted a big sister and she always wanted to be a cheerleader, so when Dr. Grant suggested that Brooke spend some time with her once or twice a week and her mom agreed, I was thrilled. I want her to be as happy as possible in her last few months."

"Maybe she'll surprise you," Lucas said hopefully. Charlotte smiled at him softly.

"I can only hope, but they rarely do."

Meanwhile, Brooke was giggling with Chance, who had captured the older girl's heart with her quirky comments and surprising insight.

"Is that boy your husband?"

"Nope," Brooke said. Chance had plopped herself down on the grass, and Brooke assumed she was tired, so she joined her. "He's my boyfriend."

"Why isn't he your husband?"

"Because we're only seventeen! Well, he's eighteen, but I won't be eighteen for another two weeks."

"That's really old, though," Chance said. Brooke giggled.

"To most people, that's really young."

"I would be so happy if I got to be as old as eighteen," Chance said wistfully. Brooke felt her heart constrict. "Dr. Grant explained to me that I probably won't, though, and that's okay. Cause I've seen lots of stuff and now I'm gonna get to know how to be a cheerleader and I think the world needs more butterflies anyway."

"What do you mean, sweetie?"

"The people we love die and they stay on earth as butterflies so they can still see us, but they get to be beautiful and fly around and not have to worry about anything."

Brooke smiled at her and squeezed her little hand. "Well, if the world does need more butterflies, and it had to be someone, I bet you'll make a beautiful one."

"I want to be one of those orange ones," she said. "Those are my favorite."

"I like white ones," Brooke replied, and Chance nodded.

"Will I get to see you lots, Brooke?"

"As often as you want and as often as your mom will let you."

"Will your mom let you?"

"Oh, my mom isn't really around. She travels with my dad. I don't see them very much."

"That's sad, Brooke. My mom and dad don't live together. My dad lives in Oregon with his other family, and my mom is always busy with her friends and stuff. I get sad and lonely, but I have Charlotte. My mom hired her to take care of me."

"It's not too bad for me. I have friends that are like my family."

"What are they like?"

"Well Peyton has been my best friend since I was your age. I know, a long time, right? She has blonde curly hair and she's really tall and skinny. She draws really, really pretty pictures. Her mom is a butterfly. Then there's Nathan, and he's been my friend for that long, too. He's Lucas's brother, and he has brown hair and blue eyes and he is amazing at playing basketball. He's married to Haley, who is gorgeous and so unbelievably smart."

"I thought you said you're too young to be married."

"Well, they're different, I guess," Brooke said. "They got married when they were only sixteen!"

"Well," Chance said, picking at the blades of grass. "I think you and Lucas should get married. He would look handsome on top of a cake."

"I agree," Brooke said with a laugh. Chance hopped up.

"Can you teach me a dance?"

"Sure thing, kiddo."

**BoxUpAllTheButterflies**

A knock at Brooke's door after school two weeks later on a Tuesday startled her and Peyton, who had been playing with Jenny on the living room floor. Brooke hopped up to answer it, surprised to find Charlotte standing there with Chance.

"Hello," Charlotte said apologetically. "She had a bad doctor's appointment yesterday and has been begging to come see you since."

Charlotte looked exhausted and drawn, and Chance's sickly apperance was evidently the cause of a sleepless night. "Well it's great to see you!" Brooke said happily. "Why don't you leave her with me for a bit and go get some rest?"

"Oh, I don't know..."

"Charlotte," Brooke said sternly. "You work way too much, and Mrs. Heatherly is a massive b-i-t-c-h, but I'm not. I'm not going to tattle on you for taking a personal day."

"I do live just a couple of blocks away..."

"Go home and nap," Brooke urged. "You can come get her after dinner. Lucas is coming over."

Chance hopped up and down in excitement. "Yay!"

Charlotte nodded and hugged Brooke. Despite their ten year age gap, the two had become close in the last two weeks, seeing as Chance was always begging to see Brooke and Brooke had never declined.

"Come meet my best friend Peyton!" she said, holding Chance's hand and walking her into the living room.

"You never said Peyton has a baby!" Chance said excitedly.

Peyton laughed. "You must be Chance. I've heard a lot about you."

"Me too. Can you draw me a pretty picture?"

"Of course I can! This is Jenny."

"Hi Jenny, I'm Chance. I don't think you talk yet, but just so you know. That's my name."

Brooke and Peyton laughed, turning the TV to a cartoon station for her. Brooke went to go find something fun for her to do while Peyton began to chat with her. As Brooke returned with some paper and colored pencils that Peyton had left in her room there, Chance was explaining her butterfly theory to the blonde.

"I've never been told that," Peyton smiled. "But I like that. I definitely think that my mom is a butterfly."

"I bet she's one of the prettiest, cause you're really pretty."

Peyton looked like she was about to tear up as Jenny crawled around on her legs. "Thanks, Chance. You're a very pretty girl, too."

"Not really," she said sadly. "The boys at school tell me that my hair is funny. When I'm bald, they're gonna tease me."

Brooke looked affronted. "Your hair is not funny at all. It's beautiful. And you are a beautiful little butterfly angel. Anyone who says differently is a stupid meanie head!"

"Brooke!" Peyton exclaimed, while Chance giggled. 

"Brooke is really funny," she explained to Peyton. "Her and Lucas are always saying funny things. They tease each other a lot but it's not like the kids at school. It's cause they're in love."

Peyton smiled. "Yes, they are. And she is funny, isn't she? Want to know something that only I know about Brooke Penelope Davis?"

"Her middle name is Penelope?"

Brooke rolled her eyes. "I know, it's awful."

"Brooke Davis is ticklish," Peyton said with a pointed look. Chance clapped in excitement as Peyton began to whisper to her. Brooke's eyes widened just before Chance launched herself at her and began to tickle her behind the knees. Brooke was near tears on the ground when the door opened.

"Hey Pretty Girl, where are ya?" Lucas called. "Oh!"

He found Brooke on the floor with Chance on top of her, Peyton sitting beside them with her back leaning on the couch, holding Jenny, who was clapping and squealing at all the excitement. Lucas grinned at the scene. He went into the living room and snatched up Chance, squeezing her to him.

"Luke!" she squealed, throwing her arms around his neck. "I found out where Brooke is ticklish."

"Oh did you now?" Lucas said with a laugh. "How was school today?"

"I didn't go today," Chance said. "I wasn't feeling very good."

"Then shouldn't you be resting, crazy girl?"

"No!" she giggled. "I'd rather be with you and Brooke and Peyton."

"Well, it's your lucky day, because there is no one we'd rather be with than you, princess!" Brooke said, taking her from Lucas and squeezing her. She laughed happily and gave Brooke a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

Peyton watched from her position on the floor with Jenny, feeling as though she were watching a family. She knew that it was what her friends must feel like watching her with Jenny and Jake, and it made her grin and her heart swell. But then her heart stopped, remembering that two of the three members of this newly formed little trio were sick, and her stomach turned at the thought.


	18. Chapter 18

"Brooke!" Peyton called as she entered Brooke's house later that week.

"I'm in the studio!" Brooke shouted back. Since the failed caretaker situation, Brooke and Peyton had transformed what would have been his room into a studio, one half for Brooke's designs and the other half for Peyton's art. Peyton loved Brooke's house and practically lived there, and the fact that Brooke had suggested giving Peyton part of her little studio meant the world to the blonde.

"So remember that brother thing?" Peyton asked as she entered. Brooke was on the sewing machine, working away on what looked like her Ravens uniform. "Did you rip your uniform?"

"Yes, and nope, I'm making one for Chance," Brooke answered.

"That's so sweet of you!"

"I hope she'll like it," Brooke said, examining her work. It was an exact replica of Brooke's uniform, even down to the very subtle little "C" on one of the straps, indicating captain. Peyton grinned encouragingly.

"Of course she will. Not only is she crazy about cheering, but she's crazy about you. The fact that you made it for her is gonna make it like, the coolest thing ever."

"Thanks," Brooke smiled. "So what about your brother?"

"Oh, he called me this morning saying he's in town, and I was wondering if you would come to lunch and meet him with me?"

"Of course!" Brooke exclaimed. "This is huge, . How do you feel about it?"

"I don't know," Peyton shrugged. "Part of me is really excited, to have more family, but another part is terrified to let someone in just to lose them again."

Brooke swallowed at this and ignored the elephant in the room. "Well, for all we know, this guy could be a creep. Didn't you say he found you through your web show?"

"Yep," Peyton replied. "Not all men on the internet are creeps, Brooke."

"When was the last time you watched Dateline?" Brooke asked with a cocked eyebrow. Peyton laughed.

"Go get dressed," she insisted. "I said we'd meet him at Karen's in twenty minutes."

"Alright, alright," Brooke mumbled, going into her room. Peyton followed.

"How are things between you and Lucas?"

"Amazing," Brooke gushed. "He's been wonderful, really. I wish he could stay here more often, but Karen really needs him around. Did you hear that she thought she was pregnant?"

"Yeah," Peyton nodded. "That's got to be hard. Having your fiance die just to have to worry that you're pregnant with his baby."

"It could have been a blessing in disguise, though," Brooke said as she slipped in to a lacey white sundress that looked more like a slip than anything else. "What with Lucas, and all of us, leaving for college next year."

"Speaking of which," Peyton began, her voice taking on a tone of excitement. "Guess who got in to Savannah College of Art and Music on a full scholarship?"

"Peyton!" Brooke screamed, launching herself at her friend in a hug. "I am so incredibly proud of you!"

"Thanks," Peyton said, squeezing her friend back. "Jake and I are really excited about moving back to Savannah. I love it there, and so does he, and so does Jenny. With all of you leaving, it won't feel so weird to go."

Brooke smiled at her best friend. "It'll be wonderful and amazing. I'm so, so happy for you."

"Thanks," Peyton repeated as she watched Brooke put on her makeup. "Brooke, we're meeting my estranged brother, not a casting director."

Brooke stuck her tongue out and finished applying her perfect makeup. "A girl with cancer's gotta look her best, Goldilocks."

Peyton rolled her eyes and began to shove her out of the room. "Come on, hoe, it's time to meet the bro."

**BoxUpAllTheButterflies **

When the girls arrived at Karen's, they were immediately flagged down by a tall, thin man with blonde hair. Brooke smirked.

"Scrawny and blonde," Brooke said wryly. "Definitely your brother."

"Derek?" Peyton asked tentatively.

"Yeah, hi Peyton," he greeted. Peyton stood awkwardly, obviously unsure of what to do, so Brooke stepped in.

"Well hi, big brother, I'm Brooke," Brooke said, sticking out her hand. "I'm basically your surrogate sibling."

"Well that's too bad," he smirked, and Brooke laughed loudly. Peyton glared between them.

"Oh God," she groaned.

"Shall we sit?" Brooke asked, plopping down in a chair. She smiled at Derek. "So, you're Ellie's son?"

"Yeah," he said, playing with a salt shaker. "I stumbled upon Peyton's web cast and I just had this weird vibe, so I did some research and what do you know? We're related."

Peyton seemed quite hesitant about the whole thing. "Did Ellie raise you?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I was adopted, too. I grew up in South Carolina."

Peyton seemed relieved that she wasn't the only child Ellie had given up. "Did she ever come find you, when she was sick?"

"Once," Derek said. "But my adoptive mom chased her away, and I never saw her again."

"I'm so sorry," Brooke said solemnly.

"Don't be," he replied nonchalantly. "I didn't know her, she wasn't really my mom, ya know?"

"Yeah," Peyton agreed. "I almost...sometimes wish I never got to know her. My adoptive mom died when we were kids, and Ellie came here to die which just...made it worse."

Brooke noted how Peyton talked about her mother's death in terms of "we", gesturing vaguely at Brooke. It had been something the two of them had both experienced; they had both lost a mother the day that Anna Sawyer died.

"So you two are very close?" Derek asked, pointing between them.

"Like white on rice," Brooke grinned. "Best friends since kindergarten."

"We've been to hell and back together," Peyton explained. "That's why I brought her here. Meeting you is a huge moment in my life, and Brooke's been there for pretty much every huge moment."

"Well, then I'm very, very glad to meet you, Brooke."

"They always are," she winked. Haley came over with a pad and paper.

"Hi guys, so sorry it took me so long. It's busy and I figured you would wait longer than these other jerks," Haley smiled. "I'm sorry, I don't think we've met. I'm Haley."

"Our other best friend," Brooke filled Derek in. "This is Peyton's half brother Derek."

"Oh!" Haley exclaimed. "It's very nice to meet you! What can I get you three?"

"My usual, please, Tutor Mom," Brooke chirped.

Haley nodded, took down Peyton and Derek's orders, and went into the kitchen. "She seems nice," Derek said awkwardly to fill the silence.

"Haley is great!" Brooke exclaimed. "So sweet and so smart."

"We're an eclectic group," Peyton supplied. "Brooke here is our resident head cheerleader and fashion guru. Her boyfriend Lucas is the tortured writer slash athlete, Nathan, who's married to Haley, is our protective big brother basketball star, and Haley's our brilliant tutor girl."

"And here is our very own Van Picasso."

"Van Gogh and Picasso are two separate artists," Peyton laughed.

"Whatever," Brooke said with a roll of her eyes. "Then you're both!"

Derek laughed loudly. "You're funny."

"I try!" Brooke chirped with a shrug.

Lunch ended up going smoothly. They discussed music, Peyton's art, Ellie's life, and their childhoods. By the end of the lunch, Peyton and Brooke had decided that Derek seemed quite harmless, and decided once had had gone that they were going to throw him a party at Brooke's house to meet all of their friends. Brooke's phone began to ring as Peyton and Brooke discussed who to invite. She flipped it open with a curiously furrowed brow.

"Hi Brooke," a familiar little voice rang through the phone.

"Chance?"

"Yep!" she giggled.

"Chance, what number are you calling me from?"

"A payphone," the little girl laughed. "You just put a quarter in and BAM! You can call anyone!"

"Who's with you?" Brooke exclaimed worriedly.

"No one. Charlotte has the day off and my mom went to some fancy thing and my dad doesn't live with us of course so I just decided to go adventure."

"Chance, sweetie, what is the nearest place to where you are? Can you read me some of the signs?"

"Ummmm. I'm near a market. And a place called...called...the buh-l-you puh-oh-sss-tuh."

"The Blue Post?" Brooke yelped. "Honey, I need you to stay right at the phone and do not talk to anyone. I'm gonna come pick you up okay?"

"You're not mad, are you Brooke?"

"No, no, I'm not mad. Peyton and I are gonna come pick you up right now and we'll go do some shopping, how about that?"

"Okay!"

"Okay. I'll be there soon. Don't move and don't talk to anyone."

She hung up, grabbing her bag and tossing money on the table. She had insisted that Derek not pay as he left. Despite the fact that she was leaving far too much money, Brooke grabbed her bag and started dashing from the diner. Peyton followed worriedly.

"Brooke, what's going on?"

"Chance is by the Blue freaking Post by herself," Brooke explained as she jumped in her bug. Peyton cursed and got in with her.

"Where the fuck is Charlotte? Or her mom?"

"It's Charlotte's day off, and her mom is somewhere else, I don't know," Brooke sighed, running a hand through her hair as they sped off toward the opposite side of town. "That is such a bad neighborhood, oh my God."

"Just calm down, I'm sure she'll be fine," Peyton soothed.

"She's six years old with cancer," Brooke snapped, "and in the worst part of town. How is that possibly fine, Peyton?"

Peyton held her hands up in surrender as Brooke sped through an intersection. They screeched to a halt in front of the Blue Post, where a pay phone was attached to the side of the building. Brooke got out of the car faster than Peyton could blink and grabbed Chance in her arms in a tight hug.

"Chance! Thank God. You're okay."

"I'm fine, Brooke," Chance said, confused but returning her mentor's hug. "Why are you freaking out?"

"Because I was worried about you. You can't go off on your own like this ever again okay?"

"Okay."

"I need you to promise me."

"I promise, Brooke."

"You scared me, bud."

Chance bit her lip, wringing her tiny hands. "I'm sorry, Brooke. I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine honey," Brooke reassured, giving her another hug. "Let's just go to the mall and have some fun, okay? You just call me next time you're home alone."

"Okay," she said softly, smiling brightly. "That would be nice."

"Good," Brooke replied with a soft smile. "Now get in the car, monster."

Chance giggled and hopped in the backseat, crawling over the center consol and giving Peyton an awkward hug that nearly blinded her with a tiny elbow. Peyton laughed as she watched Chance bounce in the backseat. Peyton's phone then started to ring, and upon glancing at the caller ID, she answered with a wry smile.

"Looking for your girlfriend?"

"She hasn't picked up her calls," Lucas said worriedly over the line.

"Lucas, she was out of the car for all of about four minutes."

"So you're with her?"

"The important question here is how many times did you call her in four minutes?"

"Nine," Lucas immediately retorted. "Is she okay? Is she not feeling well? Is she coughing up blood again Peyton, because if she is you know that she-"

"Needs to go to the hospital, yes. But no, she is not, and she is fine. We happen to be with Miss Chance Heatherly at the moment, who wandered her way to the Blue Post."

"What?" Lucas barked.

"Yep," Peyton drawled. "Brooke and I reacted in a similar fashion. We're taking her to the mall now."

"Tell him to meet us there," Brooke said cheerily.

"Brooke says to meet us there."

"See you there," Lucas sighed. "Want me to call up Jake and Jenny?"

Peyton beamed. "Perfect. That'd be great."

Jake and Jenny arrived at the mall first, having been at a nearby park. Peyton gave Jake a kiss hello, causing Chance to bounce up between them and ask, "So does this mean you're married now?" Lucas arrived a few minutes later and immediately swept up Chance in his arms.

"You better promise me to never go to the Blue Post again."

"Why?"

"Because that's where bad girls go," Lucas said, sending a subtle look Brooke's way. She faintly blushed and winked back.

"I promise."

"Good," Lucas said, kissing her on the forehead. He wrinkled his brow in concern. Her hair was hardly even wisps on top of her head. He placed her on the ground and smiled as her tiny hand slipped its way into his large one. Her other hand had grabbed Brooke.

"Can we go to the play place?"

"Absolutely," Brooke replied. Chance squealed and watched Peyton and Jake, who were walking ahead with Jenny in her stroller.

"I'd like them to get married."

"Me too, sweetie," Brooke agreed.

"I've never been to a wedding. I want to go to a wedding before I die. What I'd really like is to be in one."

"Chance," Lucas said sternly. "You know how I feel about you talking like that."

Chance rolled her eyes at him sassily. "I'm not gonna be a liar, Lucas!"

Lucas heaved a deep sigh and shook his head, ending the conversation. The little girl had stolen his heart; at least the tiny bits of it that had somehow escaped Brooke's grasp. He glanced over at the two of them, both to his left, and felt his heart constrict. Brooke was sick. Chance was even worse. Charlotte had given both Brooke and Lucas a talk about becoming too involved with Chance, saying that her chances weren't good and that forming a deep attachment was only going to break their hearts. How could something so sweet be forced to suffer so much only to be taken from the Earth? How could he sit and watch it happen? The three of them had become like a small family over the course of about a month; how could he ever lose her? And how would he be able to remain strong for Brooke, especially if it felt like watching her future?

He was ripped from his thoughts as Chance released his hands, dragging a laughing Brooke into the play place with her. Lucas smiled sadly and pulled his camera out of his pocket. He had taken to carrying it with him everywhere, constantly capturing any moment he thought was important; it drove Brooke nuts, but he needed it. He needed to know that if the very worst thing happened, he would have everything captured in ink, set in stone, reminding him that she had been there, that she wasn't just a dream.


	19. Chapter 19

"I'm gonna be huge at prom," Haley whined.

"And I might be dead, but that doesn't mean that we don't dress shop regardless," Brooke sassed. Haley shot her a dark look and Brooke gave her a sarcastic little grin, holding up a slinky purple number before shaking her head decisively. "Lucas likes me best in red."

"I think Lucas likes you best in nothing," Peyton teased from where she was looking at white dresses.

"Planning a wedding, ?" Brooke shot back.

Peyton stuck out her tongue. "I was actually thinking for you."

Brooke shook her brown locks. "No way. I'm way too pale to rock white."

"I think it would look gorgeous on you," Haley agreed.

The dress _was _gorgeous, with a tight bodice of criss-crossed taffetta that led to a puffy, pillowy mermaid style bottom. The back dipped low, with a couple of criss crosses. Brooke bit her lip before conceding, agreeing to try it on.

"Tight things look bad on me," she said loudly from the dressing room as she wriggled into it. "I'm too scrawny now."

She came out of the dressing room, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. She obviously had not looked in a mirror yet. Haley gasped, Peyton's eyes went wide, and several other shoppers turned to stop and stare.

"What?" Brooke said self consciously.

"If you don't get that dress, I'm going to hurt you," Haley said.

Brooke turned to look in the mirror, and even she had to admit that it fit her like a glove. She looked angelic and yet still sexy. She beamed.

"This is the best I've felt about myself in a long time," she said softly.

Peyton threw an arm around her shoulders. "Lucas is going to have a heart attack when he sees you in this."

"It's perfect," Brooke whispered, running her hands over it.

Standing in that beautiful white gown, Brooke couldn't help but think about a conversation she had with Chance when she took her out to breakfast that morning.

"_If you die, what is Lucas gonna do?" Chance suddenly asked. She didn't seem to notice Brooke's utter shock at her candidness. _

_"He'll move on, find some beautiful girl to marry who will make him happy," Brooke said softly, sipping from her tea to keep herself from unloading her emotions on a five year old. _

"_I don't think that would happen," Chance said pointedly. "I think he'd wait for you forever. You'd become a beautiful white butterfly and he'd keep you with him all the time until he died, too." _

"_Chance, this is all very morbid," Brooke admonished. _

"_What's that?" _

"_Sad." _

"_I just don't think that Lucas would marry another girl," Chance shrugged. "You two are taking long enough to get married as it is." _

_Brooke laughed. "Chance, I've told you a hundred times, we're too young!" _

_Chance leveled Brooke with an adorable stare. "And my name is Uncle Sam." _

_Brooke crinkled her nose and giggled. "Where did you get that?" _

"_Peyton," Chance answered. "But that's not the point!" _

"_Eat your funny face, Funny Face," Brooke teased. Chance laughed and took another bite of her pancakes. _

"I have a question," Brooke asked as the girls rung up their dresses. "Could you ever see Lucas and I getting married?"

Both Peyton and Haley turned to her with surprised expressions. Peyton answered first.

"Of course."

"Did he propose or something?" Haley exclaimed.

"No," Brooke said, shaking her head. "Chance just keeps telling me how she thinks we should get married."

"She's also five," Peyton said wryly.

"You just wait until Jenny starts pressuring you and Jake!" Brooke exclaimed.

"You make it sound like Chance is your kid," Haley said.

"It feels like it sometimes," Brooke shrugged. "Lucas and I spend so much time with her. He goes with her to chemo a lot now. It's too hard for me to watch, but he stays strong for her."

Haley gave Brooke a tender expression. "How is she doing?"

Brooke sighed heavily. "She's okay. The best she can be. Any day now, she's going to lose all of her hair."

"Yours has been hanging on," Peyton commented, giving Brooke's dark locks a gentle tug. Brooke smiled, closed lipped.

"I also put fakes in there, too."

"Brooke, you know that you don't have to be so tough all the time," Haley said. She sat on a bench suddenly, causing Brooke and Peyton to stop. Haley tugged Brooke to sit beside her. "You're playing mom to Chance and wife to Lucas, but what are you doing for yourself?"

Brooke looked at her friend, puzzled. "Being with them. That's what I want."

"When was the last time you let yourself talk about being afraid?" Haley questioned. "Or let yourself cry?"

Brooke bit her lip. "I'm not afraid."

Peyton sat on her other side. "Brooke, that's not possible."

"What do you two want?" Brooke suddenly exclaimed, standing and whirling on them. "Do you want me to stand here and sob? To tell you that I'm terrified of dying? That I don't know what Lucas will do? That I wake up every morning praying to God that Chance doesn't die? Is that what you want to hear?"

Brooke's shouting had drawn quite a bit of attention. She realized this and shook her head, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. She turned to go, and suddenly she felt arms wrapped around her.

"That is what I wanted to hear," Haley whispered. Brooke buried her face into her friend's hair, letting herself finally cry. Peyton wrapped her arms around her other two friends, leaning her forehead on Brooke's hair.

Brooke pulled away with a watery laugh. "I think we've just started about fifty rumors."

Haley rolled her eyes. "As we always do."

"The rumors about you being preggo were true," Peyton teased as the three began to leave the mall.

"And so were the ones about you and Lucas!" Haley teased back, poking out her tongue. Brooke froze for a moment, and Haley and Peyton's eyes both went wide.

"Brooke, I'm-"

"Don't worry about it," Brooke said firmly.

She walked off to her car alone without a goodbye. Haley watched her go with a worried expression. Peyton glared from her side.

"Good going, Haley."

Haley rolled her eyes. "I didn't mean to!"

"I've gotta warn Lucas," Peyton said, pulling out her phone. "She's gonna be paranoid and upset."

"I didn't meant to start anything," Haley said softly. Peyton softened at this.

"I know, Hales," Peyton comforted. "Things between Brooke and I healed up too fast to be true. Of course she's still sensitive about it all."

Haley nodded. "I'm gonna go put away this dress at home and then go see if I can talk to Brooke."

Peyton said her goodbye to Haley and hopped in her Comet, dialing Lucas. "Hey Luke, listen, Brooke's probably going to be a little upset-"

"What did you do?" Lucas growled.

"I didn't do anything!" Peyton yelped. "Haley made a joke about the rumors about us being true and then Brooke sped off without even saying goodbye."

Lucas sighed. "Great. The last thing I need is Brooke being paranoid."

Peyton rolled her eyes. "This isn't about your feelings, Luke. It's about Brooke."

"I know," he groaned. "I just...I've been having a hard time lately."

"What do you mean?" Peyton asked, concerned.

"Can you meet me at the Rivercourt? I could use someone to talk to, actually," Lucas said.

"Yeah, of course. Be there in a sec."

Minutes later, Peyton arrived where Lucas was sitting on a bench. "Hey buddy, what's up?"

Lucas smiled weakly at her. "I've just...things are hard lately. Brooke is so sick. Way sicker than she's letting on. She makes us think that she's let us in so that we feel better, but really...she's dying, Peyton."

"She isn't!" Peyton said adamantly. "She's beating this."

Lucas shook his head. "That's what she wants us to think. Look what I found in her nightstand drawer."

He handed her a file, which she opened slowly. Her hand slowly made its way to her mouth. "No."

"Those are funeral plans," Lucas choked. "She bought a plot, Peyton. She picked out a casket. She has a list of songs on there that she wants to be played. She wrote out who she would want to speak."

"No," Peyton whispered.

She dropped the file to the ground and launched herself into Lucas's arms, crying. They sat there for a while, holding each other in their grief that Brooke was hiding the gravity of the situation from them.

"Well isn't this cozy," a voice said angrily from behind them.

Peyton jumped away from Lucas as if she had been burned. Nathan stood with his arms crossed, staring at them stonily.

"It's not what it looked like."

"It better not have been!" Nathan shouted. "She trusts you! Both of you! And you go and do something like this?"

"Do something like what?" came a feeble voice from Peyton and Lucas's other side. There was Chance, standing in her cheer uniform that looked just like Brooke's. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, sweetie," Peyton said softly. "Why are you here?"

"Charlotte dropped me off because Brooke and I are cheering today," Chance explained. "She left when she saw Luke was here."

Lucas went to pick her up in a hug but she stepped away from him.

"Why is Nathan angry at you?"

"It's complicated," Lucas said shortly. Chance blinked in hurt. Nathan went to her and kneeled down.

"Luke and Peyton have done some things to hurt Brooke before, and I thought they were doing them again."

Chance furrowed her brow in anger. "You're supposed to _love _Brooke!"

"I do love Brooke," Lucas reassured. "You know I do, honey."

"Then why would you hurt her?" Chance seethed.

"What's going on here?" Brooke exclaimed, running out her car. She was in her cheer uniform, but her eyes were obviously red and swollen. She swept Chance up in a hug and kissed her cheek. "Come on, sweetie, let's go have some fun and forget about all this mess, huh?"

She glared back at Lucas as she led Chance away. He groaned, putting his head in his hands. Nathan bent down and picked up the discarded file. He opened it and his face fell.

"What the hell is this?"

"The reason why we were holding each other," Peyton said. "Brooke is planning her own funeral."

For the second time, the file hit the ground.


	20. Chapter 20

"What the hell was that, Lucas?" Brooke hissed as she burst into his room that night. "What did you do to upset Chance?"

"_That _was a misunderstanding," Lucas shot back, standing from his chair. "The real question is what the hell is this, Brooke?"

Brooke's eyes widened as he dropped the familiar file onto the bed in front of her. She swallowed and averted her eyes.

"I don't know."

"You don't _know?" _Lucas shouted. "Because it looks to me that you've planned every fucking detail of your funeral, Brooke!"

Brooke shook her head, her face crumpling with held back tears. "I-I-"

"You what, Brooke? What do you know that you're not telling me?"

"You're so angry."

"Of course I'm angry!" Lucas yelled. "You've been planning a funeral behind my back, damn it!"

Brooke squared her jaw, a spark igniting in her eyes. "It's my funeral, Lucas. It's not exactly a group project."

"Forgive me for assuming you would tell me if things were bad enough that you needed to buy a plot and pick out a casket!"

"This is about me," Brooke seethed. "You know that. You've even said it."

Lucas shook his head. "You pretend to let us all in just to appease us, Brooke. But really, we're just as far on the outside as we were before you tried to kill yourself."

"That's not fair."

"Isn't it though?" Lucas asked, shoving his hands through his hair. "You push us away to protect us."

"What's so bad about that?" Brooke shouted back. "What is so wrong with wanting to protect the people I love?"

"Because we don't want to be left reeling if something happens to you! We'd be more confused and hurt than if we knew what was going on to begin with!"

"I'm going to die!" Brooke screamed. Lucas stopped, his breath hitched in throat. "It's undeniable now! It's over! The fight is done!"

"Brooke-"

"I'm going to die at eighteen!" Brooke continued to scream, now in hysterics. "I'm going to drop dead any fucking day now! Chance is going to be left so confused. Haley's baby will grow up not knowing their Aunt Brooke. Peyton is going to lose yet another person this year. And so are you."

"Brooke, please-"

"You want the truth, Lucas?" Brooke shouted. She pounded her fists against his chest. "I'm dying and there isn't a damn thing I can do about it anymore."

Lucas caught her by the arms, pulling her to his chest as she sobbed. He buried his face in her hair, breathing deeply, attempting to prevent a panic attack.

"Brooke, I love you. I don't know what else to tell you other than that I love you."

She pulled away, taking shallow, quick breaths.

"That's not enough right now," she whispered. Before Lucas could react, she fled the room, the slam of the door echoing in the silence. By the time he reached the porch, her Bug was all ready peeling away.

**Box Up All The Butterflies**

Nathan was almost asleep, drifting in the comfortable twilight between consciousness and sleep, when pounding on the door startled him upright.

"Wha?" Haley mumbled sleepily from beside him.

"I'll get it," Nathan grumbled, making his way to the door. "Hold on! God!"

As soon as he opened the door, Lucas came flying into the living room. "Please tell me she's here, Nathan."

"What are you talking about? It's two in the morning, Lucas."

"I know," Lucas growled. "Brooke took off. I confronted her and she told me that it's done. That she's dying, and there's nothing that can stop it. I told her I loved her and she left."

"What?" Haley whispered from the hallway. She hugged herself and began to tear up.

"You've tried calling her?"

"Of course I have," Lucas snapped.

Nathan nodded solemnly. "I think I might know where she is."

"Where?" Lucas asked urgently.

"Let me get dressed, I'll take you there. Haley, get something warmer on."

As Nathan got dressed, he thought back to the place he was going to take them. He couldn't believe he'd blocked out the memory, but now it made sense that Brooke might run there.

"_BROOKE! DAMN IT BROOKE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Nathan screamed over the howling wind. _

_Brooke was walking on a guard rail. The cliff on her other side was ominous and foreboding. She held a bottle of rum in her hand, which she took a swig from. She giggled and nearly tripped. "Woah!" _

_Nathan ran to her, grabbing her around the waist. She struggled against him, kicking and screaming as he carried her further from the edge. _

_"What the hell are you doing?" _

"_My best friend took the one person I've ever cared about," Brooke slurred. She chugged another sip. "My father comes in and out of my life like cell reception. My mother called me a worthless whore today when I asked her for advice about Lucas. Your girlfriend thinks I'm a joke. You abandoned me for Peyton and then for Haley. I've got no one, Nathan. I'm alone. If Peyton can play games with fate in her stupid car, then I can play games with fate on my fucked up little balance beam." _

"_Get in the car, Brooke," Nathan growled. "Now. We'll talk about this in the morning." _

"Someone call Peyton," Nathan barked. "Tell her to meet us at our spot."

"What?" Haley asked in confusion.

"She'll know what I mean."

Haley obeyed as the three climbed into Nathan's car. "Peyton? It's Haley. I know it's late, but Nathan said to meet us at your spot. Brooke is missing."

"I'll be right there," Peyton said, obviously awake now.

"Where are we going?" Lucas asked tensely as Nathan sped through the dark streets of Tree Hill. "Why are we going into the mountains?"

"Because I think that's where Brooke is."

The three fell silent until Nathan's headlights illuminated a turn out point.

"Stay in the car," he told both of them. They both attempted to protest but he cut them off. "I'll wave you guys over in a minute."

He got out of the car, closing the door and taking a deep breath before walking toward the guard rail at the end. He walked slowly, trying not to startle her. He was suddenly illuminated by Peyton's headlights. She hopped out of her convertible, still in a tank top and pajama shorts. Her feet were bare and she winced as she stepped on the rocks in the dirt.

"Old school then?" Peyton said softly.

"_Brooke!" Peyton gasped. "Come down from there!" _

"_Oh come on," Brooke giggled. Peyton rolled her eyes upon realizing her friend was drunk. "Guess what? Daddy Dearest really topped it all tonight!" _

"_Brooke, what happened?" Peyton asked. "Get down from there and tell me what happened. _

"_I told him how I felt, and he hit me!" Brooke laughed. Her laughter was humorless, and Peyton cringed at the sound. She approached Brooke nervously, gently tugging on her arm. The brunette fell, crying, into her arms. _

"Brooke," Nathan said gently. She was standing still on the guardrail, but he could see the bottle swinging from her right hand.

She didn't turn. "I assume Peyton is with you, too."

"Yeah," Peyton said. "And you know that we need you to get off the rail, Brooke."

"It's kind of nice up here," Brooke said. "Like a whole different world. Where there's nothing but life or death and balancing on the edge of them both."

Peyton grabbed Nathan's wrist in fear. "Brooke, sweetie, please."

"Why do you both care so much?" Brooke whimpered. "Why do you keep coming back all the time?"

"Because we love you," Nathan answered simply.

"We promised a long time ago, Brooke. In first grade, we said no matter what. We meant that then, and we mean it now."

"But I'm going to die," Brooke said. She spun around on the guardrail and both Peyton and Nathan took sharp intakes of breath.

"You don't know that," Peyton said gently, taking a slow step forward. Brooke teetered and took a sip from her bottle. She peered behind Peyton.

"Is that Haley and Lucas?"

"Yeah," Nathan answered shortly. "Why don't you come down and all of us can talk?"

"It would be easier, you know," Brooke said, and her voice was broken. She looked behind her, down the cliff. "If I just went. I could just fall. You would be saved so much pain. Watching me slowly wither away."

Peyton shook her head, tears beginning to fall from her face. "Brooke Davis, I will mutilate your dead body if you jump."

"I'm sorry," Brooke whispered.

"BROOKE!" Nathan screamed. He bolted forward just in time to catch the wobbling girl. His foot got stuck under the rail, and he fell, half bent over the rail. The bottle in Brooke's hand tumbled down into the crevasse, the smallest echo of it shattering drifiting up to the teens. His grip on Brooke loosened and she fell mostly over the edge, Nathan gripping her tightly by her upper arms.

"Oh my God!" shrieked Peyton. She sprinted forward.

"I'm stuck," Nathan panted. "I think my ankle is broken."

Brooke was whimpering, her eyes screwed tight. Her legs kicked at the air, trying to find footing on the wall of the canyon.

"Stop kicking," Peyton begged. "LUCAS! HALEY!"

The two came running from the car. In the darkness, they had missed the action.

"Nathan!" Haley shrieked. She realized that he was holding onto Brooke for dear life. "Brooke, sweetie, hang on."

Nathan's face was screwed up in pain and concentration. "I'm gonna have to let go of her. Lucas, you'll grab her arms on three."

"No," Brooke cried. "Nate, don't let go. Please. I'm not ready to die."

"No one is dying, Brooke," he said fiercely. He looked her in the eyes. "I promise you, Brooke. We're both going to be fine."

Lucas swallowed. "Let's do this now, she's slipping."

Nathan nodded. "On three. Hover over her, so you can grab her the second I let go."

Lucas nodded, leaning over the rail and putting his hands as close as he could to Brooke. He was a little low to grab at her, but the second Nathan let go, she would fall right into his hands, if all went well.

"One, two, three!"

Brooke screamed as she dropped for a second before Lucas's arms managed to grip her around her rib cage. He panted as he struggled to pull her over the railing. Peyton and Haley were working on freeing Nathan from the metal that trapped his leg.

Brooke was sobbing in hysterics when Lucas managed to drag her back over the railing. She fell into his chest, taking panicking, sobbing breaths.

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry. Please, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Sh, Pretty Girl," Lucas soothed. "Breath. It's going to be okay. It's all right."

"Lucas, I've got Brooke," Peyton said, kneeling beside her best friend and taking her into her arms. "You're the only one strong enough to get Nathan out."

Lucas handed his girlfriend over to Peyton and approached Nathan. "This might hurt, Nate."

"Just do it," Nathan said with gritted teeth. Lucas knelt down, peering under the rail.

"Nate, this could break your leg."

"Do it."

Haley's hands were over her mouth as Lucas wrapped his arms around his brother's middle and yanked as hard as he could. There was a snapping sound and Nathan howled.

"Nathan!" Haley screamed, dropping to the ground next to him. Brooke sobbed louder.

"It's fine, Hales. Just a bone," he panted. "We just need to get to the hospital."

"Brooke!" Peyton shouted. She was slapping the brunette's face. "Stay with me, Davis. Come on, wake up."

Haley dashed over, putting her hand against Brooke's neck. "Her pulse is weak," Haley half-yelled.

"We've got to go," Peyton snapped. "Lucas, get Nathan in the car. We'll get Brooke."

Haley and Peyton attempted to lift Brooke between the two of them, but they were unsuccessful. Lucas had already gotten Nathan in the front seat and come to help them. He scooped her up easily and laid her in the backseat. The girls piled in after her. Lucas hopped in the driver's seat and tore out of the turn out.

"Come on, Brooke!" Haley urged, shaking her friend. "Sweetie, wake up. Come on. Listen to my voice. Wake up!"

Lucas focused on the road, swallowing his tears. "What the hell happened?" he asked.

"Brooke has had two mental breakdowns ever. That we knew of," Nathan corrected. "One was last year, after you and Peyton. The other was sophomore year, after her dad hit her. Peyton found her the first time. I found her the second."

Lucas slammed his fist on the steering wheel. The rest of the ride was silent, sans Haley and Peyton's panicked whispers in the back seat.

They pulled up to the ER, Haley and Peyton each helping Nathan on one side while Lucas carried Brooke in his arms. Brooke was immediately wheeled away and Nathan was taken away for x-rays, leaving the other three to wait.


	21. Chapter 21

"What the hell just happened?" Lucas mumbled to Haley and Peyton as they waited for Nathan to finish getting his ankle set and for news on Brooke.

"She lost it," Peyton shrugged. "When the three of us were like, fourteen, we used to go there to drink and talk. But it became Brooke's breakdown spot."

"But I don't understand," Haley said. "Was she trying to kill herself?"

Peyton shook her head. "I don't think Brooke actually _wants _to die. I think she's resigned herself to it."

Haley nodded. "She's accepted it as an inevitability."

Lucas put his face in his hands. "What are we gonna do? How do we fix it?"

Haley rubbed his shoulder gently. "We can't, Luke."

He snapped his face up. "There's always something."

Haley shrugged sadly. "Maybe not this time."

Lucas looked as though he was going to retort but Nathan was being wheeled over to them. His leg was encased in a blue cast up to his knee. Haley put her hand to her mouth and rushed over to take him from the nurse. After talking to the nurse for a couple of minutes, Haley brought Nathan over to where they sat.

"How bad is it?" Lucas asked wearily.

"Fractured my ankle and my shin," Nathan said emotionlessly.

"I'm sorry-"

"You did what you had to do," Nathan said resolutely, cutting him off. "How's Brooke?"

"No news," Peyton replied. Jake came jogging in, dropping a kiss to Peyton's forehead and waving at the rest.

"What is it with you people and accidents?" Jake sighed as he sat down.

"Where's Jenny?" Peyton asked. "It's four AM."

"My parents are watching her. They understood I needed to be here."

Peyton smiled softly and leaned her head on his shoulder. Just a few months ago, she was convinced she was in love with the blonde sitting across from her. She had lost the brunette struggling for her life down the hall. It would almost be perfect, if Brooke was simply napping and they were hanging out in Nathan and Haley's apartment instead of a hospital waiting room.

"How am I going to tell Chance?" Lucas said suddenly. Peyton looked over at him.

"Take it from a girl who's lost a lot. You don't tell her."

"She has to know."

"You can tell her that Brooke's chances don't look good," Peyton argued, "but you never tell her about tonight. If you let her know that Brooke is losing hope, she will, too."

Lucas sighed. "I guess you're right."

"I know I am," Peyton smirked. She yawned and they all fell silent in their musings. Peyton began to think back on the last two years; she and Brooke had more fallings out in that time period than they had ever had. But they had also had more bonding experiences, she realized.

"What are you thinking about?" Haley asked. "I just need to fill the silence."

"I was thinking about how even though I fucked up a lot these past two years, Brooke and I have managed to be closer than before," Peyton replied.

Lucas looked at her accusingly. "Wish I could say the same."

Jake looked uncomfortably between the two. "I'm gonna go get us coffees."

Peyton watched him go before turning back to Lucas. "It takes two, Lucas."

"It didn't last time," Lucas growled. "She would have trusted me if you weren't always begging for my attention."

"That's really not fair," Peyton replied, biting back her anger.

"You wedged yourself between us. We could have gotten her help way earlier if it wasn't for you."

"Hey!" Haley interrupted. "Lucas, that is not fair and you know it. Peyton has nothing to do with why Brooke didn't go to _anyone _for help."

"Yes she does!" Lucas retorted. "She felt like you and Nathan were pushing me to be with Peyton, too."

"I wanted you to do what would make you happy!" Haley exclaimed.

"And I wanted you to pick one this time," Nathan said tiredly. "I was sick of seeing Brooke hurt."

Lucas rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, falling silent. Peyton stared at her feet, guilt starting to consume her. She bit her lip before speaking.

"Why does she even talk to me?" Peyton whispered.

"Because she loves you," Haley said reassuringly. She glared at Lucas and kneeled in front of Peyton. "You're her number one priority. You know she'd do anything for you. And even though you made mistakes, when it comes down to it, I know you'd do anything to fix this."

Peyton nodded and hugged the girl in front of her. Lucas sighed and stood up.

"I need to walk. I just-I can't be in here."

They all watched him as he stalked out into the fresh air.

"Should I go after him?" Haley asked tiredly.

"Give him time," Nathan said. "And sit down, Hales, you need rest. This can't be good for the baby."

Haley sighed and sat, leaning her head on Nathan and closing her eyes. Jake returned with the coffees, making sure to give his girlfriend a reassuring squeeze and some sweet whispers.

An hour later, Jake was the only one awake, and Lucas was still nowhere to be found.

"Are you here for Brooke Davis?" Dr. Grant asked. He then took in the group and shook his head. "I should have known it'd be you six."

Jake shook Peyton, Haley, and Nathan awake. The doctor took a breath and looked around.

"Where's Lucas?"

"He went outside for a bit," Haley explained. "How's Brooke?"

"As I'm sure you all know, her condition has been deteriorating. She really worked herself up and it doesn't look like she's been eating or sleeping properly. Brooke's chances have been looking grim, but she's only going to exacerbate the process by not taking care of herself."

Haley nodded. "Is there really not anything else that can be done at all?"

"We can try a bone marrow transplant," the doctor said. "We've all ready checked our banks, and we had no matches. If you're interested, we can see if any of you are a match, but it's very unlikely."

They all immediately said yes. "It's Tree Hill. The unlikely is more likely," Nathan explained. Dr. Grant laughed.

"Brooke is asleep. She's simply exhausted herself, but she should be allowed to go home either tomorrow or the next day."

"I'll go get Lucas," Peyton suggested. "What room?"

"315," Dr. Grant replied. The others went off while Peyton walked outside, where she found Lucas hunched against the wall. He had obviously fallen asleep.

"Luke. Come on, Luke, wake up," she said. He slowly opened his eyes. He sat up instantly.

"How's Brooke?"

"She's resting," Peyton explained. "We're allowed to go see her for a bit."

Lucas hesitated before standing up. "I think-I think I'm just going to go home."

"Lucas-"

"I just. I need time."

As he started to walk away, Peyton couldn't help herself. "You don't have much of that left!" she shouted after him. He spun on her.

"Has it ever occurred to you that this is like, karma?" Lucas yelled back at her. "That we hurt her so bad, that we don't deserve to have her anymore? So she's being taken away from us."

"That's not true, Lucas," Peyton rationalized. "You know that. But the more you act like a child, the worse this is going to be. For you and for Brooke."

"I hate you, Peyton," Lucas growled. "You ruined my life."

Peyton had had enough. "_We _ruined our lives! You kissed me back. You wanted me when you were with Brooke. You used her as a toy because you couldn't be with me!"

"Stop," Lucas said suddenly.

"NO!" Peyton yelled back. "You pin it all on me. Everyone does. The only one who didn't was Brooke! She understood that even though you did end up falling for her, you didn't give a shit back then."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"I know more than anyone," Peyton hissed, her eyes filling with tears. "I didn't do the right thing for my best friend then, but so help me God, Lucas, I will do it now. You have no right to act victimized by this. Any time you lost with Brooke was your own damn fault."

With that, she stormed off back into the building, leaving Lucas stunned in her wake.

When she entered the room, Brooke was groggily talking softly to their friends. She looked up and lit up before her face fell.

"Where's Luke?"

"Karen was worried sick," Peyton lied. "He promised he'd come by in the morning."

Brooke nodded. "I'm sorry, Peyton."

"It was all one big accident," Peyton said, hugging Brooke tightly. "No one is mad."

"I'm a little mad," Nathan said suddenly. "I'm mad you didn't tell us it was so bad, or that we could be tested to help you."

Brooke looked at her blanket guiltily. "I know. I'm sorry."

Nathan sighed heavily. "Brooke, you have got to let us all the way in. You can't do this alone. Like it or not."

She nodded and smiled crookedly. "I love you all. I hope you know that."

"We know," Haley said, kissing her on the cheek. "Get some rest. We'll be back in the morning."

**Box Up All The Butterflies **

Derek watched from down the hall as Peyton, Jake, Haley, and Nathan left Brooke's hospital room. He smirked to himself, taking note that Brooke's loyal watchdog boyfriend was nowhere to be found. He entered the room quietly. Brooke's eyes were shut, her breathing deep and even. He sat in the chair beside her bed, gently pushing a piece of her hair away from her face. She sighed happily and leaned into his hand sleepily.

Derek found her bag in the corner, easily finding the house key. He grinned to himself and kissed Brooke on the head before leaving the room unnoticed.


	22. Chapter 22

"Brooke?" Lucas said tentatively as he entered her hospital room. The brunette was laying down watching some kind of entertainment news.

"Hey," she said softly. She averted her eyes from his and focused on the TV.

"I'm sorry I left last night," Lucas said. "I just couldn't handle being here."

Brooke furrowed her brow, but still did not look at him. "Peyton said your mom wanted you home."

Lucas shook his head. "I promised I'd be honest with you this time around. I was really angry, and Peyton and I had gotten in a fight-"

"About what?" Brooke cut in.

"The past."

"What do you and Peyton have to fight about with the past?" Brooke asked. She turned to look at him now, and Lucas could practically see her walls go up.

"It was nothing, Brooke, I promise."

She looked completely unconvinced but changed the subject. "Yeah, well, thanks for coming by."

"Pretty girl-"

"I'm not mad," Brooke said, and he was painfully reminded of the last time she had uttered those words to him. "I'm not mad."

"But you're hurt."

"Ding ding!" Brooke hissed sarcastically. "We have ourselves a winner!"

"Brooke, come on. Don't be like this."

"Be like what? Upset that you were fighting with your second girlfriend while I lay here in a hospital bed?"

"Don't call her that."

"I call 'em like I see 'em," Brooke said, rolling over away from him.

He sighed, trying to contain his anger. He approached her and sat on the end of the bed. "Peyton was trying to knock some sense into me. I was being irrational and stupid. I just-lately I've been thinking that this is like karma. That Peyton and I hurt you so badly that we're being punished."

Brooke rolled over now, looking at him with just an ounce of pity. "If anyone is being punished here, it's me."

"For what?"

"For standing in the way of something bigger than me," Brooke whispered.

"What are you talking about, Pretty Girl?" Lucas asked. He put his hand on her face. "I _love _you, Brooke. There is nothing going on between me and Peyton. There was in the past, but I was just caught up in a fourteen year old's fantasy and I was too stupid to see what I had."

Brooke smiled a little. "I love you, Lucas."

Lucas kissed her softly. "I love you too. So I'll be back in a little bit. I'm going to go get tested."

"For what?" Brooke asked in confusion. "I swear to God, Lucas Scott, if you're being tested for herpes or something, we are _so _done."

Lucas laughed. "No, crazy girl, I'm getting tested to see if I might be a match for a bone marrow transplant."

Brooke tilted her head to the side. "Really?"

"Really. We're all doing it. Me, my mom, Nathan, Haley, Peyton, Derek, Jake...even Jenny."

Brooke's eyes filled with tears. "You don't have to do that."

"We know. But we want to. We're all doing it together with Dr. Grant in a couple minutes, then we'll all be back to see you."

He kissed her goodbye and she was left alone with her thoughts. Hope had become a painful emotion, but it was filling Brooke's body. A small voice interuppted her thoughts.

"Brookie?"

"Hey baby girl!" Brooke said cheerily as Chance walked tentatively to her hospital bed. She crawled onto it shyly and clutched Brooke's hand with both of her small ones.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sweetie, I'm okay," Brooke said, pulling her to herself in a hug. She could see Charlotte duck out into the hall. "I was just silly and wasn't eating or sleeping enough."

Chance furrowed her brow. "Promise?"

Brooke took a deep breath. "Promise."

Chance's lip quivered and she suddenly burst into tears.

"Oh, sweetie, don't cry!" Brooke exclaimed, hugging her tighter. "It's all going to be okay, I promise. Nothing's going to happen to me."

Chance sniffled and wiped at her face. "Oh-okay."

Brooke smiled and wiped away the remaining tears. "I see we're gonna have to go wig shopping soon, huh, cutie?"

Chance pouted. "Yeah. Charlotte said that we're just going to have to shave the rest off."

"Lucas needs a haircut anyway," Brooke giggled. "He can go with you."

Chance smiled at this. "I miss him."

"He misses you, too," Brooke assured. "He'll be back in a couple of minutes."

"I have to go to chemo," Chance said sadly.

"Well, I'll send him up then!"

Chance beamed. "Thanks, Brookie. I love you!"

Brooke kissed her cheek. "I love you too, Princess."

The little girl crawled off the bed and skipped into the hall. Brooke watched her go with a small smile. Ten minutes later, the little girl was replaced by Nathan, hobbling on crutches.

"Hey hotshot."

"Hey you."

"Nathan, I'm so sorry," Brooke said sadly. "I've ruined everything. You're not going to be able to play in State."

Nathan grabbed her chin and forced her to look up at him. "Listen, Davis. You're a lot more important to me than some stupid game."

"This is your dream."

"No, it's not," Nathan said seriously. "My dream is to have a family, a real one that loves each other. And you're a part of that family."

"You Scott brothers keep making me cry today," Brooke laughed as she wiped at her teary eyes.

"We have that effect on women," Nathan said wryly.

"I have a question."

"Go for it, cookie."

"Do you think if something happens to me, Lucas and Peyton would get together?"

Nathan paused for a moment and Brooke felt her stomach drop. He finally replied. "To be honest, maybe. Maybe she would be the only person to understand what he was going through."

"You and Haley would," Brooke argued softly. Nathan shook his head.

"They would be dealing with a whole different kind of grief. Haley and I know that we've never done anything seriously wrong to you. They'd have to live with that guilt for the rest of their lives."

"Getting together wouldn't help that," Brooke pouted.

"Of course not," Nathan replied. "And I don't think it'll happen. Because you're not going anywhere. We're going to find you a match, Davis."

"And if we don't?"

"Then we'll figure it out from there," Nathan shrugged. He placed a kiss on her forehead. "Promise me you'll always remember, you're braver than you believe-"

"And stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think," Brooke finished with a small grin. "I can't believe you remember."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Of course I do. You ran around quoting Christopher Robin for like, six years, Brooke."

"He's smarter than you think," Brooke quipped, sticking out her tongue.

Haley and Peyton entered next, and then Derek and Jake, and then Karen, and then Lucas, who Brooke sent to go see Chance.

"Brooke, I forgot to tell you," Haley said tentatively. "Theresa has been trying to take your captain's spot."

Brooke's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

"You've been missing a lot of practice and most games," Peyton said with a shrug. "You don't need to worry about cheerleading right now."

"Yes I do!" Brooke exclaimed. "I'm trying to live a normal life here."

Nathan raised his eyebrows. "Really now, Davis? You're in the hospital Again."

"Minor speedbump," Brooke waved off. "That bitch better watch out, because I will be a cheering machine by Friday."

Haley groaned. "Good lord, Brooke, please be careful."

"Careful is my middle name!" Brooke chirped. Peyton scoffed.

"When do I get busted out of here anyway?" Brooke asked.

"Tonight," Jake said. "That's what Dr. Grant told me when I was getting my test done."

"Thank you guys. For all doing that. But the chances are really slim that any of you will be a match-"

"We better be," Peyton said wryly. "Because I am not throwing your wake dance club style at Tric."

"It would be a blast!" Brooke protested.

"Yeah, because we'd all wanna dance after your funeral," Nathan said with an eye roll.

Brooke matched his expression. "You're all boring."

Haley laughed and ruffled Brooke's hair. "Now I get why Lucas calls you Crazy Girl."

A few hours later, Brooke was being discharged. Lucas was driving her home before going back to his own house.

"I don't know, Brooke, maybe I should stay with you tonight," Lucas said cautiously. "I have a really weird feeling."

"I'm fine, Broody!" Brooke argued. "Clean bill of health and all."

"I just don't want you to be alone."

"I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning."

"Brooke, you're not going to school."

"Oh yes I am. I'll be damned if I let Theresa have my captaincy."

Lucas knew better than to argue anymore. "Fine, pretty girl. I love you."

"I love you too, Boyfriend. Now go home to your mom. I know she's been lonely."

Lucas furrowed his brow in worry before Brooke kissed him. He grinned at her as she pulled away, leaning down to give her another quick kiss before leaving.

"Pick me up at seven!" Brooke called after him. He raised his hand in acknowledgement and she smiled as she shut the door. She went upstairs, starting a bath with the intention of relaxing before bed. She put on Peyton's latest mix tape and slipped out of her track suit. She brushed out her hair, cocking her head to the side as she viewed her body in the mirror. In just her bra and underwear, she could see just how thin she had become. The black material contrasted against her pale skin.

She turned away from the mirror to feel the bath water, turning off the valves. She suddenly felt arms around her waist and a kiss on her neck.

"Luke," she giggled. "I told you to go home."

Another kiss on her neck caused her to widen her eyes. That didn't feel like Lucas.

She spun around and screamed. "Derek, what the fuck?"

He grinned wolfishly at her. "Come on, Brooke, we don't have to tell."

"Get off of me!" she screamed, but he had a hold on her arms. She struggled against him, but her body was weak.

He pushed her, and she fell backward into the bath. She gasped as she came up for hair, coughing and spluttering. He climbed in, fully clothed, pinning her. Water began to fill her lungs. No matter how much she struggled, Derek was simply far stronger. She finally managed to surface, coughing up hot water. She somehow managed to slither out of his grasp, falling onto the tile floor and running, her feet slipping from under her with every step. She heard an animalistic growl coming from behind her.

Derek grabbed her arm, spinning her around and punching her in the face with his other hand. Brooke yelped, falling to the floor and desperately trying to crawl away from him. He grabbed her by the ankle, dragging her back.

"Please!" Brooke yelled. "Please, Derek, please stop!"

He straddled her on the ground, kissing her hard on the mouth. Brooke struggled against him before finally letting his tongue into her mouth, just so she could bite down hard on it. He yelled, recoiling back for a moment. Brooke realized her mistake as soon as she felt the next several blows, to her stomach, ribs, and face.

She couldn't help it. She was crying now, struggling against him as hard as she could. She could feel her vision narrowing in, but she refused to give in to the darkness. She thought of Lucas, and of Peyton and Jake and Jenny. Of Nathan and Haley and their unborn kid that she refused to miss out on. Of Chance and her bright little smile.

"GET OFF!" she screamed, throwing him off. She stood quickly, ignoring the aches, her adrenaline urging her on. She grabbed the lamp from the hallway and heaved it as hard as she could. She watched the hot lightbulb shatter into his face sparks coming out of the wall from the electricity.

"You little spoiled bitch."

Brooke ran toward the stairs, intending to run out of the house. He tackled her from the back and the two tumbled down the stairs. Blood was flowing freely from cuts on his face, and Brooke could taste her own blood in her mouth. She crawled pitifully toward the kitchen, reaching desperately for the phone. She attempted to dial 911 but instead hit the redial button.

Derek came crashing into the kitchen. Brooke grabbed the kitchen chair and heaved it will a grunt. It impeded him, but didn't seem to injure him. He threw the phone against the wall, shattering it.

He slammed Brooke's head against the island in the kitchen, causing her to see stars. She dizzily reached into the kitchen drawer and spun, driving a knife into Derek's arm. He howled and backed off.

"Get out of my house," she slurred, holding the bloody knife. She saw him retreat speedily before falling to the ground.


	23. Chapter 23

The next morning, Lucas arrived at Brooke's house as promised. He put his key into the door only to discover that it was unlocked. He furrowed his brow in concern, pushing the door open slowly.

"Pretty girl?"

He heard no response. He started to ascend the stairs, his blue eyes widening as he saw the broken lamp in the hall. Watery steps were all over the place.

"BROOKE!" he yelled, running into her room. He stared down at the wet footprints on her carpet, and what looked like claw marks indented in the ground. Her clothes lay in the bathroom, the bathtub still full but freezing.

"BROOKE! BROOKE WHERE ARE YOU?" Lucas yelled. He hurried down the stairs, halting as soon as he entered the kitchen.

"No," he breathed. "No, no, no."

He knelt down beside her, gently trying to shake her awake. "Brooke, baby, please, wake up. Come on. Open your eyes, pretty girl. Please."

Brooke let out a small groan, and Lucas felt his heart leap. "Brooke, honey, I'm going to call 911 okay? I'm gonna get you help."

"No," she whimpered. "No cops, no hospitals."

"Brooke-"

"I'm okay," she croaked. "Just a little beat up. I can go see a doctor later if you want but...not now."

Lucas felt helpless. He nodded. "I'm going to call Nathan, okay?"

"Okay."

"Nate, it's Luke. Something really bad happened over here at Brooke's, I think you need to come over. Okay. Yeah. See you soon."

Lucas looked down at Brooke and took a shaking breath. She was covered in bruises. It suddenly dawned on him that she was in only a bra and panties.

"Brooke, where are your clothes?"

She shook her head and tried to sit up. Lucas rushed to her side, scooping her up and carrying her to the couch in the living room. He covered her with a blanket and kissed her forehead. Brooke continued to blankly stare past him.

It was only a few minutes before Nathan and Haley came sweeping into the house. Nathan immediately saw the destruction and rushed to where Brooke lay.

"Bee, what happened?" Nathan asked gently. She bit her swollen bottom lip and sighed. Nathan couldn't see the rest of her body, but her face was a mess. She had a black eye, a cut on her cheek, a busted bottom lip, and bruises along her jaw and neck.

She swallowed and slowly began to tell them. Lucas sat behind her, tucking her between his legs and running his hands through her hair gently. "I was about to get in the bath after Lucas dropped me off. All of a sudden I felt arms around me and someone kissed my neck. I obviously thought it was Lucas until he kissed me again and I realized it wasn't. I turned around and he started grabbing me and I tried to get away, but I fell backward into the bath. He kept choking me and I was drowning, I didn't know what to do. I don't know how but I managed to crawl out of the bath. He caught me again and punched me and I went down. I started to crawl away but he dragged me back and got on top of me. He started kissing me and touching me but I bit him really hard so he got mad and just started beating me. But I wanted to make him mad so he'd hit me instead of...ya know."

"Instead of what?"

"Raping me," Brooke said. Her voice was numb. "Anyway I managed to get up and I hit him in the face with my hall lamp. Then I tried running out of the house but he tackled me downstairs. I ran to the phone and I managed to hit redial but he broke the phone. I threw my chair in front of him to slow him down, then he pinned me to the island and slammed my head on it. I grabbed a knife out of the drawer, turned around, and I stabbed him in the arm. I told him to get out and he ran off. Then I guess I passed out."

"Brooke," Haley gasped in horror. Her eyes were wide with tears, her hand over her mouth.

"Who was it, pretty girl?" Lucas asked. He was concealing his fury for Brooke. As soon as he had a name, all bets were off.

"I don't want to talk about it. Where's Peyton?"

"I texted her, she'll be here soon."

"I don't want to explain all that again," Brooke said softly. She finally managed to relax, leaning back onto Lucas's chest.

"Brooke, do we know who did this?" Nathan asked.

"Yeah," Brooke whispered. "And that's why I don't want to tell you."

Peyton and Jake burst in the door just then, looking frantic. Peyton gasped and Jake had to support her as she stumbled in shock.

"B. Davis," Peyton gasped.

"Nikki came back," Brooke joked. "She said, where's Peyton? And I said, get out, bitch. And she said that you were the bitch. So I said no, you're the bitch, Bitch. She didn't like that so much."

"Not funny, Brooke," Jake admonished. "Who the hell did this to you?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Brooke groaned. "Can I just sleep all ready?"

"Brooke, you need to get checked out by a doctor," Peyton insisted. "And you need to report this to the police."

"I'm fine," Brooke argued. "And I'm not involving cops."

All five of her friends began to argue with her. "SHUT UP!" she screamed. She stood, forgetting her lack of clothing. She swayed on her feet a little but put her hands on her hips. "You all baby me, all the fucking time. And I get that it's because you guys care, but right now I just want to be left alone! I am sick of doctors and pills and hospitals. I am sick of attention and being protected and all that shit. I just want to be left ALONE!"

With that, she attempted to stalk out of the room, only to be impeded by her own pain. She grabbed an end table, panting, her legs shaking.

Lucas rushed to her, scooping her up and watching tears roll down her face. Her eyes were shut tightly. "It's okay, baby. I'm just going to put you to bed, okay?"

She nodded, looking ashamed. Lucas glanced back at his friends before taking her upstairs. He put her in bed and kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Brooke. It's all right. Get some sleep, okay?"

Brooke didn't answer him. She simply rolled over, curling into a ball. Lucas sighed and went back downstairs to talk to his friends.

"Did you see her body?" Peyton was hissing at the rest of them. "There's no way we can let her not see a doctor!"

"We've got to respect her," Haley argued. "She doesn't want one. She obviously just went through a lot."

"What happened?" Peyton exclaimed. "I don't understand how this happened."

Nathan launched into the play by play, leaving Peyton crying into Jake's neck.

"What do we do?" Nathan asked, turning to him.

Lucas shrugged. "We clean up the house. And I think we should all crash here for a while. I'll talk to my mom, see if she wants to come too if she's too lonely. We can't leave her here by herself, especially if she's not going to tell us or the police who did this."

Nathan nodded solemnly, Haley agreeing from his side. Jake nodded at him, still trying to calm Peyton.

"We'll take the hallway," Haley said decisively. "Luke, you do the bathroom and Brooke's room. Peyton and Jake, you fix up the kitchen."

With that, they scattered, Lucas entering Brooke's room very tentatively. If she was still awake, she was very convincing at faking sleep. He tip toed into the bathroom and began to drain the tub. He used a towel to mop up the water that was everywhere and threw her track suit into the hamper. When he went back in Brooke's room, he rubbed his hands on the carpet to remove the indents of footprints and claw marks.

Meanwhile, Haley was sweeping up the broken glass in the hallway while Nathan mopped up the water. Peyton and Jake simply moved the chairs back and fixed up the phone. Jake swallowed, nearly throwing up as he saw the blood on the island where Brooke's attacker had rammed her head. He told Peyton to go into the living room and relax while he continued to clean up the mess, not wanting her to get anymore upset.

They all reconvened in the living room in about twenty minutes, seemingly unsure of what to do next. Haley rubbed her hands over her face in exhaustion, leaning against Nathan on the floor.

Suddenly, Jake's phone began to ring. He flipped it open. "Hello? Yes, this is him. Oh, hello, how are you? I'm good, thanks. Are you...are you serious? That's amazing. She's asleep right now, I'll have her call you to schedule when she wakes up. Thanks so much. Okay, thank you. Bye."

Jake turned to his curious friends with an ecstatic grin. "You'll never guess who's a match."

"For what?" Haley asked in confusion.

"For Brooke's bone marrow transplant."

Peyton breathlessly stared at him, beaming, before engaging him in a searing kiss. Lucas pumped a fist in the air silently, spinning around a little. Haley shrieked in joy, pulled into an embrace by her husband.

"At least we'll have some good news for her," Nathan grinned.

Haley sighed happily. "Thank god. I don't know how much more bad news I can take."

All five friends nodded in agreement before Lucas piped up once again.

"So who the hell do you guys think did this?"

"She doesn't want to tell us who," Haley pondered out loud. "Who would she want to protect on some level?"

"I can only think of her wanting to protect us," Nathan chimed in. "So maybe it's someone close to us."

"We know it's a guy."

"Dan? Would Dan be evil enough to do something like this?" Peyton asked.

Nathan shook his head. "He might be, but he would have no incentive to go after Brooke. Plus, not telling us wouldn't be protecting Luke or me. We hate him."

Haley bit her lip, her brow furrowed. "Well, we know it wasn't any of the Rivercourt guys."

"Mouth is on my suspect list," Jake joked. The rest managed to laugh at that.

Haley bit her lip before cautiously suggesting, "What about...Derek?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Peyton snapped.

"I'm just thinking. We hardly know him. And you know that Brooke would never want to tell you. She wouldn't want to break your heart."

Peyton scoffed. "You do not know my brother."

"And neither do you!" Haley argued. "I've seen him look at Brooke in a way that I don't like before. That's all I'm saying."

"I'll prove you wrong!" Peyton hissed. She pulled out her phone, dialing her brother. The phone went to voicemail straight away. "That means nothing."

"I'm going to go look upstairs," Haley said firmly. "I'll be quiet, but I have an idea."

She went upstairs, leaving the remaining teens in uncomfortable silence. Peyton huffed.

"I cannot believe she would ever suggest that."

Nathan glared at her. "Lay off of her, Peyton. She's trying to figure this out for Brooke's sake."

"At my expense!"

"Babe, no one is attacking you," Jake soothed.

Peyton crossed her arms over her chest, scooting away from him. He rolled his eyes and looked at Luke, who smirked a little at Peyton's over dramatic behavior.

_Glad I dodged that bullet, _Lucas thought to himself.

Haley came downstairs, her face looking ashen.

"I knew you wouldn't find anything," Peyton quipped, smirking at Haley.

Haley shook her head, looking at Peyton sadly. She slowly held up a very familiar cell phone.

"Please tell me this isn't Derek's."

Peyton's face went white, her eyes wide. She stood and bolted from the house. Jake hastily followed her, calling out. Nathan and Lucas looked at one another and seemed to come to a mutual, silent agreement. Haley sunk onto the couch, putting her head in her hands.

"Typical Tree Hill," she mumbled, her voice sad.


	24. Chapter 24

"Peyton!" Jake shouted, chasing his girlfriend into the street. She whirled on him, blonde hair wild, her eyes full of an emotion he couldn't put his finger on. He stepped back, stricken by the intensity that he could see on her face.

"Just...don't," she hissed. "I can't. I don't. I need to go."

"Where?" Jake demanded, stepping toward her once again. "Peyton, I understand that you're upset. But you can't just go running off."

"You have no idea how I feel!" she screamed. "My brother, who I hardly know, beat my best friend to a fucking pulp! My best friend who is all ready dying!"

"Don't make this harder," Jake tried to reason. "She was trying to protect you by not telling us. She didn't want you to feel this way."

Peyton scoffed, throwing her hands up. "There's going to come a day where she can't protect me anymore! She should have stopped a long time ago!"

"But she didn't," Jake argued. "And part of you has to appreciate that. She loves you, Peyton. And you saw what he did to her. She doesn't want the same thing to happen to you."

"I brought him into her life," Peyton whispered. "It should have been me."

"Don't say that," Jake said softly, pulling her into his arms. She fought him, beating her fists against his chest. He held on, letting her get it out before she finally collapsed into him, crying.

"I can't believe this happened," she whimpered. "How could I let this happen?"

"You didn't know," Jake murmured. "You had no way of knowing. None of us did."

"Haley saw."

"But even then, she didn't say anything," Jake assured her. "Because no one would ever think that someone would so this."

Peyton nodded feebly, finally accepting his comfort. "Can we go get my stuff from my house? I want to crash at Brooke's tonight."

"Of course," he soothed, kissing her on the temple. "I'll text Lucas, Nate, and Haley and see if they want us to grab their stuff too."

Peyton smiled at him. "I love you, Jake. Thank you, so much. And thank you for being here for Brooke. I know you guys aren't exactly the closest."

Jake smirked at her. "That's what you think, Sawyer."

Peyton looked at him, confused. He smiled and continued as they got in the car. "She called me every week after you left."

"What?" Peyton breathed.

"She wanted me to know that you were okay," Jake shrugged. "And she wanted to check on me and Jenny. She was always asking if there was anything she could do to help."

Peyton's expression softened. "I never knew."

"Brooke and I got fairly close," he shrugged. "We would talk on the phone for like, an hour at a time. But ya know, I have Jenny and you, and she has Lucas and everything going on, so we don't have much time to talk anymore. It's funny that now that I'm back, I know her less."

Peyton grinned. "I know what she meant. When she told me that it meant a lot to her that Lucas and I care about each other. She wanted the boy she loves and the girl she loves to love each other."

"Well, you're both lucky," Jake teased. Peyton smiled, leaning her head back. Despite everything, she couldn't help but agree.

Meanwhile, in the house, Lucas was pacing. Haley sat on the couch, her face blank as she watched. Nathan had run upstairs, looking for more evidence.

"I'm going to kill him," Lucas said suddenly, his voice gruff and low.

"Lucas-"

"No. I really am," he said, a humorless grin on his face. "I am honestly going to make him pay for this, Haley."

"That isn't what Brooke wants," Haley argued, standing up and trying to reason with him.

"Sometimes what Brooke wants isn't what's best for her," he hissed. "He could do it again. And I can't let that happen."

"No one's asking you to let that happen again," Haley said. "I agree we need to do something about it. But violence isn't the answer to that."

Lucas laughed. "Oh, I think it is."

"Come on," Haley pleaded. "The last thing Brooke needs is for you to end up in prison."

Lucas sighed, finally sitting, much to Haley's relief. "You're right. I just have to be there for her right now."

"Exactly," Haley said, sitting beside him. She rested her head on his shoulder. "I know this isn't easy for you, Luke. But you just have to try your best to help her heal from this. It's all you can do."

"Yeah," he agreed grudgingly. Nathan came back with nothing but a worried expression.

"Brooke is awake," he said, his voice low. "I told her that we're all going to stay here. She just stared at me."

Lucas groaned, running a hand over his head. "I'm going up to her. If I don't go now, she's just going to keep putting up her walls."

"Nate and I can go to the market," Haley suggested. "I'll get stuff to make her favorites. Maybe a nice family dinner will cheer her up."

"Family dinner?" Lucas asked, confused. Nathan rolled his eyes.

"Does she even need to explain?" Nathan asked. "We're family. We're all in this together. All six of us."

Lucas grinned and ascended the stairs, bidding his brother and sister in law goodbye. He entered her room quietly.

"Brooke?"

She turned in bed, looking at him for only a second before averting her eyes again. He sighed, taking his shoes off and crawling into bed with her. She went to turn back over, but he gently reached out to hold her there.

"I'm not going to let you shut me out," Lucas teased, kissing her on the forehead. "Like it or not, you're stuck with me, Davis."

"I just want to be alone."

"No you don't," Lucas said simply. "You never actually want to be alone. You pretend like you do, because you don't want to burden anyone and you always want to be the one to fix everything. But you hate being alone."

Brooke stared up at him in shock. "How did you-"

"I know you, pretty girl," Lucas said, kissing her as softly as he could, trying not to hurt her busted lip. He could taste the blood and he nearly winced.

"I look like a monster," she whispered.

"No, you don't," Lucas argued. "You look like a horrible human being hurt you. He's the monster. Not you."

Brooke sighed. "I heard Peyton outside."

Lucas crinkled his face sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Brooke. Haley found his phone."

"I guess I was going to have to tell you all eventually," Brooke sighed. She snuggled into his chest, causing him to smile. "At least I didn't have to say it."

"There's the silver lining."

"I was so scared, Luke. I thought I was going to die."

"Speaking of dying," Lucas said suddenly. "Guess who won't be doing that any time soon?"

"What?" Brooke asked, pulling back to stare at him in confusion. "That was the strangest topic changer ever."

"Jake is a match, Brooke."

Brooke looked simply floored. "What?" she asked in a hopeful whisper.

"Jake is a match for the bone marrow transplant," Lucas said with a soft smile, tracing one of the bruises on her face. "It's all going to be over, pretty girl."

Her eyes were filling with tears, and she was suddenly sobbing into his chest. Relief, happiness, gratitiude. And sadness, grief, and horror at what had happened the night before. It was all coming out in hysterical, broken gasps.

"Sh, Brooke," Lucas soothed. "It's okay, babe. Just breath."

Brooke nodded, still gasping out sobs. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Lucas chuckled. "I felt the same way. With less tears."

"Shut up," Brooke giggled.

Seeing her smile, despite her tears and bruises, made him grin. When she finally quieted to gently hiccuping, Lucas got out of bed, gently tugging her to follow him.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

He lead her in to the bathroom, picking her up and sitting her on the counter. He started to run a bath, reaching into the medicine cabinet and getting her little first aid kit. He began gently cleaning her cuts, wiping the remainder of dried blood off her face.

"You're beautiful," he said, kissing her softly when he was done. The bath was full now. "I'm gonna let you enjoy your bath."

"No, wait!" Brooke called, panicked as he turned to leave. "Please stay with me."

"Of course," he said, pulling off his shirt easily. "I'll never turn down the opprotunity to take a bath with my girl."

She smiled, happy that he was treating her normally. She tried her hardest not to gasp as she finally hopped off the counter and took a look at her body. "Oh my God."

"I know babe," Lucas said, running his hands gently over her stomach. "But it'll go away. I promise, it's gonna go away."

Brooke nodded and slipped into the bath, Lucas climbing in behind her. She leaned against him, letting him massage her aching, injured body. After a long, thoroughly enjoyable bath, they got out, Lucas wrapping her in a towel and giving her a sweet kiss.

"It's almost dinner time," he said with a smile. "Go get dressed, Hales has a little surprise for you."

Brooke's eyes lit up. "Oh, I love surprises!"

"I know you do, crazy girl," he laughed, drying off and putting his clothes back on. Brooke was all ready off in her walk in closet, slipping into jeans and his favorite gray hoodie.

"I should really stop being surprised," Lucas grinned. "You're always stealing that thing."

Brooke stuck out her tongue. If it wasn't for the bruises and for the obvious pain in her steps, Brooke would seem perfectly normal.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she beamed despite her cut lip. Haley was just finishing up cooking. Nathan was setting the table, and Peyton, Jake, and Jenny were all sitting on the floor of the living room, playing. Peyton immediately stood when she noticed Brooke. The two stared at one another before Peyton cautiously wrapped Brooke in a hug.

"I am so sorry," Peyton whispered. Brooke shook her wet hair.

"Don't be," Brooke whispered back. "I promise, Peyton, it was not your fault. Not even a little bit."

Peyton bit her lip, nodding and hugging her one more time. Brooke rolled her eyes at Jake, who crinkled his nose at her.

"Dinner's ready!" Haley chirped, bringing in the food. She had cooked a massive amount of all of Brooke's favorites.

"Thank you so much Haley," Brooke smiled. "It really means so much to me."

"Of course, Tigger," Haley said, hugging her gently with one arm. "Plus, this little one happened to be craving your favorite pasta."

Brooke giggled, rubbing Haley's stomach. "Auntie Brooke is already rubbing off on ya, huh?"

That night, Brooke was able to sleep soundly, Lucas by her side. Nathan and Haley were just down the hall, and Peyton, Jake, and Jenny were all sleeping across from them. In just a few days, she would have the procedure to hopefully cure her. Psychos be damned, Brooke Davis was not leaving the world until she was good and ready.


	25. Chapter 25

**First off, I wanted to say thank you so much to all of you lovely readers and reviewers. And I wanted to say thank you to one lovely reviewer in particular, ReadingRed, who suggested that I put in a little link in this chapter. **

**This story is based on something that happens in real life every single day. You could make a difference. Go to BeTheMatch {dot} org, and see what you can to do help. You could save a life. When I went to the site, I registered. It's really very simple and free, just a swab of your cells from inside your cheek could match up and save someone's life. They'll mail you the kit and everything (I'm waiting on mine now). I really, really recommend it to all of you. Without further adieu, the next chapter! **

It wasn't until three nights later that Brooke's friends returned to their respective homes. Brooke had to forcibly drag Lucas to his car, insisting that he return to his worried and lonely mother.

"Brooke, I appreciate you looking out for her, but she's fine."

"And so am I! I just got three nights with you, the least you can do is give her one. Besides, you have got to go back to school. It's a wonder any of you are going to graduate!"

"Fine," Lucas agreed reluctantly. "But you promise me you'll call if you need me?"

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Of course. You called Charlotte right?"

"Yes, she knows what happened. She briefly explained to Chance that we can't see her for a bit, but that we'll see her by the end of next week," he smiled, kissing her softly. "I love you."

"I love you too. Goodnight, Luke."

She walked back into her house, making sure to solidly lock the door. In the still silence, she was suddenly a little bit afraid. She took a deep breath and pulled Lucas's sweatshirt tighter around her body. Her bruises were only slightly faded now, her aches and pains marginally better.

She made her way into the kitchen, deciding to make herself a cup of tea. When the kettle whistled, she poured it into her mug with a smile.

"You make this too easy," came an all too familiar voice, one that had come to haunt her nightmares.

She screamed, turning and throwing the steaming contents of her mug at the intruder. He screamed in pain, gripping at his face. Brooke panted; he was smarter now, blocking her access to her knives. Instead, he pulled one out himself.

"You ready for some fun, Brookie?"

She went to bolt, but he grabbed her and held the knife up near her throat.

"Just give me what I want and I'll go," he whispered into her ear, biting at her neck.

Brooke kicked back, hitting him in the groan before running toward the phone again. Again, he foiled her plan by knocking it over.

"Leave me alone!" Brooke shouted. She ran to the front door, desperately trying to unlock both locks with her shaking hands.

"Leaving so soon?" he asked, pressing her against the door. He started unbuttoning her jeans, trying to yank them off. Brooke closed her eyes, trying to remember all of the self defense that Jake had taught her just that morning.

She used the palm of her hand to ram his nose upward. She heard the crack of it breaking and took advantage of his howling to grab the nearest object, a picture frame containing a photo of her and Peyton when they were twelve. She smashed it on his head, returning to her task of unlocking the door.

"I don't think so," he growled, throwing her onto the ground. "Now you've really made me mad, Brooke."

He picked her up despite her kicking and clawing and placed her in a chair, holding her by the hair, looking around him before smirking. He grabbed her toaster, yanking the cord out of the back and using it to tie her to the chair. She began to hop around pitifully, trying to undo the binds.

"How cute," he mocked, pointing to a picture of her and Lucas on the fridge. It was one of her favorites, snapped at a party. All around them, people are blurred, but Lucas was looking down at Brooke, simply beaming with affection as she giggled into his neck.

He walked to the stove, turning on the flame and lighting the picture on fire. Brooke glared at him.

"He's going to kill you," she mocked. "He knows it was you, and I told him not to do anything because of Peyton, but the second I tell him he can, he is going to hunt you down and he will absolutely kill you."

Derek laughed. "Peyton? I'm not even Peyton's real brother. You really are stupid, aren't you, Brookie? I saw you on her webcam all the time, and I was simply infatuated. It was easy enough to come up with the story the more I listened to her bitch and whine about people always leaving-"

"Don't you dare!" Brooke shouted. "Don't you dare talk about my best friend, you sick twisted bastard."

He slapped her across the face, leaving her reeling. The locks began to make noise, drawing his attention.

"Brooke?" came Peyton's tentative voice.

"No! Peyton!" she screamed, trying to warn her. Derek growled, leaping at her.

Peyton screamed. "BROOKE!"

Brooke's blood froze as she heard another scream; Haley. Haley, as in her pregnant best friend Haley.

Brooke finally lost it, succumbing to her tears. "He's not your brother," she sobbed over the scuffling sounds of whatever was occurring in her living room.

"Not my best friend, you fucking psycho," she heard Peyton shout, and then a loud crashing. Haley came running, rapidly working to untie Brooke.

"Haley," she sobbed. "Haley, you've got to get out, the baby-"

"I'm not leaving without you!" Haley insisted, grabbing her face and looking her in the eye. "It's going to be okay, Brooke."

"HALEY!" she screamed. Derek grabbed Haley by the neck, shoving her against the fridge. Brooke was free now, standing shakily and leaping onto Derek's back, screeching and scratching. Peyton was still in the living room, lying on the ground groaning. She pulled out her phone and dialed Lucas.

"Luke," she gasped out. "Luke, Haley and I went the Brooke's, come fast. Call Jake, Nate."

She hung up without waiting for his response, forcing herself upward despite the pain in her back. She ran into the kitchen to see Brooke get thrown from Derek's back. Peyton instinctively threw herself in front of Haley, taking another hit in the face from what she had thought was her brother.

Brooke ran past, beginning to go up the stairs. She appeared to have a plan.

"Haley!" Peyton yelled, and Haley instantly ran to follow the brunette. Peyton squared off, ready to face Derek. She gulped down the blood flowing from her face that was running into her mouth. She finally swung back, satisfied when it sent him reeling. She kneed him as hard as she could in the gut, throwing him on the ground and slamming a chair over his body. He was still and she raced upstairs to join her friends. Brooke was wildly searching for something, and Haley was trying to move the decorative table from the hall in front of the stairs as a barricade.

"I think he's down," Peyton panted, doubling over. "I called Luke."

Haley launched herself to hug Peyton, tears forming in her eyes. "We need to call 911."

Peyton nodded before cursing. "My phone fell near Derek."

"You can't go back," Haley insisted. They went off into Peyton's room to find the home phone.

A sudden growl jarred them. Derek grabbed Haley, kicking and yelling, dragging her down the hall and pulling at her hair.

"LET GO!"

He grabbed her by the neck again, lifting her and throwing her over the table, sending her tumbling down the stairs. Peyton ran out of the room, taking in the scene.

"HALES!"

"You next?" Derek asked, lunging at her. He bent her over the desk, choking her.

"Haley, hang in there, please," Peyton gasped toward her. "It's going to be okay."

"The baby," Haley sobbed.

"I know, it's going to be fine," she choked.

Derek suddenly released Peyton as he saw Brooke going into a room. He grabbed her ankle, sending whatever was in her hand toward the ground. She went for it and he tripped her. She crawled desperately on the ground, managing to twist and stand, kicking him hard.

"Peyton!" she screamed. "Table! Cheer camp, eighth grade!"

Peyton's eyes widened as she hastily moved the table out of the way and knelt in front of the stairs. Brooke kicked him again, sending him flying over Peyton and down the stairs. Peyton, however, tumbled with him.

As soon as she hit the ground, Peyton crawled desperately toward the sobbing Haley. Derek grabbed her, dragging her back.

"Leaving now? Little rich girls can't fight?" he mocked.

A sudden sound caused he and Peyton to both look up. Both pairs of eyes widened.

"The little rich girls think they'll stay awhile," she growled, a gun pointed at his forehead.

The front door slammed open, Lucas and Nathan staring in shock at the scene before them. Nathan paled as soon as he saw his wife.

"No, Haley!" he shouted, kneeling beside her.

"Brooke," Lucas whispered.

Brooke was focused solely on her attacker. "You took my life and you turned it into a nightmare. And all I have thought about is that I hate you."

She cocked the gun, finger on the trigger. Haley sobbed brokenly on the floor.

"Brooke!"

Brooke glanced over but focused her attention back on Derek.

"Brooke, please don't. I need you," Haley gasped out.

"But you are not worth my time," Brooke suddenly hissed. "And you are not worth my life."

She made a sudden movement, causing all breath in the room to halt. She took the gun and slammed him across the face, tears filling her eyes.

"You have a nice night," she growled through her tears, throwing the gun toward the living room. Sirens could be heard outside. Lucas grabbed her, holding her to him as she sobbed. Jake came rushing in just before the police. Several of them arrested Derek, hauling him out of the house. Brooke and Peyton were dragged away from their panicked boyfriends, while Nathan followed Haley into an ambulance.

Both girls were wrapped in fire blankets whilst being questioned outside.

"Hoes over psychos?" Brooke asked tentatively. Peyton managed a shaky grin, fist bumping Brooke.

"You bet," Peyton croaked.

"Haley," Brooke breathed. "The baby..."

"I'm sure it's going to be okay," Peyton assured. "How are you?"

"I can't breath very well," Brooke managed. "And I think he cut my neck. You?"

"Definitely been better," the blonde managed to chuckle.

Their boyfriends approached, insisting on them also going to the hospital for a check up. The four piled into the second ambulance together while the girls underwent a preliminary checkup.

"Miss Davis, I think you have a couple of fractured ribs," the paramedic said, pressing against her side. She hissed in pain, grasping Lucas.

"Definitely a broken hand," said the paramedic poking at Peyton.

Little was said between the teens as they arrived at the hospital. Nathan was the first thing they saw in the emergency room, leaning against a wall, crying openly.

"Nate," Brooke gasped.

She went to approach him, but was guided away by the paramedic. "You need to be checked out further."

"Is Dr. Grant here?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, confused. "But he's a cancer specialist-"

"I'm in treatment right now," she said simply. "I want to see him, please."

"Of course."

Minutes later, Dr. Grant rushed into the room that Peyton and Brooke had been situated in.

"Brooke!" he exclaimed. He examined her, his face grave.

"We're going to have to wait at least six weeks to do the transplant now," he said, his voice extremely sad.

"Why?" Peyton insisted.

"Your body won't take to it if you're this injured."

Peyton and Brooke exchanged grave looks. The two remained in their room, awaiting news on Haley, stuck separated from their friends. Peyton reached out her good hand, grabbing Brooke. The two finally began to cry. Brooke stood up and moved to Peyton's bed, laying beside her. They held each other and sobbed.

They sobbed for their shared childhood, and all the pain they had seen in that time. All the abandonment, death, and loneliness. They cried for their adolescence, how they had tried to grow up so fast with alcohol and sex. They cried for the time they had lost in their Bermuda triangle. They cried for the times they had missed out on, for the times they had had but were now over.

If Brooke didn't make it until the transplant, it was all over.

They crossed their fingers and hoped to God that Haley and her baby would be okay. If they weren't, it was all over. Everything would have fallen apart.

**Okay wow, that was very intense and dramatic. I hadn't intended for that to happen. I combined like eight OTH fight scenes into one haha. Chance will return in the next chapter, I wanted to keep her out of the stalker mess. **


	26. Chapter 26

Brooke and Peyton had cried themselves to sleep, exhausted emotionally and physically. Lucas and Jake tentatively entered the room to find their girlfriends tangled in each other's limbs. Lucas managed a small smile, elbowing Jake.

"If I didn't know better, I would say we have a problem."

Jake snorted, and the sound stirred the girls.

"Broody," Brooke groaned. "How's Haley?"

"Haley's going to be okay," Lucas assured, crossing to her and kissing her forehead. "And the baby is okay."

"Really?" Peyton gasped.

"Really," Jake said with a smile, kissing her. Both girls laughed in relief, clutching one another. "Now I gotta talk to you, Davis. I hear they're delaying our trade."

Brooke rolled her eyes at his terminology. "Six more weeks."

Lucas's face darkened. "But, Brooke-"

"I know," Brooke said weakly. "They originally said I probably wouldn't even make it that long."

Peyton hissed in a breath and Lucas fell heavily onto the other bed, his head in his hands.

Jake looked between Lucas and Brooke before turning to Peyton. "You two were cleared, let's uh..."

"Yeah," Peyton agreed. Jake helped her up, holding her closely to him as they left the room.

The door shut, leaving the couple in silence. Lucas spoke suddenly.

"Let's get married."

"What?" Brooke snapped. "Lucas, no."

"Why not?" Lucas said, kneeling by her and grabbing her hand. "We love each other. Please, Brooke. Marry me."

"I'm not going to marry you," she insisted, but tears were flooding her eyes. He pressed on. 

"Brooke, you know that I have been the most optimistic of everyone," he said, his voice cracking. "But I can't-I can't not marry you. I can't let you die Brooke Davis. If you have to die, you're dying Brooke Scott."

"Lucas, that is ridiculous!"

"Is it really?" he insisted. "Look me in the eye and tell me you don't want to marry me."

"Of course I _want _to," Brooke said. "But God, Lucas, I'm not even eighteen yet."

"In two weeks, you will be," he insisted, holding her hand to his face and kissing it. "Think about it, pretty girl. Please."

Brooke took a deep breath, nodding. "Can you take me to see Haley?"

"Yeah, okay."

"What time is it?" Brooke yawned.

"It's three a.m.," he said wearily.

Brooke groaned. "Oh, God."

When they reached Haley's room, she was still awake. Nathan was whispering to her, nuzzling her and kissing her. She was smiling at him, obviously tired.

"Hey," Brooke said.

Nathan looked up at her before crossing the room in three steps and nearly crushing her in a hug.

"Nathan, ribs," she gasped out.

"Sorry," he rushed. "Don't ever pull that again, Davis."

"I'm so sorry," Brooke said, tears flowing down her face now. "I never meant to put Haley in danger."

"I meant don't ever get yourself hurt like that again," Nathan said, brushing a few tears away and hugging her more softly. "I already gave Hales that speech."

She smiled at him crookedly and walked to sit beside Haley.

"Hales-"

She couldn't finish. She began desperately sobbing, pressing her head on Haley's legs.

"Tigger!" Haley exclaimed. "Honey, it's okay. It's all fine."

"No, it's not!" Brooke cried. "I almost killed your baby."

"You did not do anything!" Haley insisted, her voice stern. "Psycho Derek pushed me down those stairs, not you."

"You never would have been in that situation if it wasn't for me."

"You didn't call me over there, Brooke," Haley argued. "Peyton and I came on our own free will."

Brooke continued to whimper but seemed calmer. Lucas finally convinced her to leave Haley to rest.

"Can I stay at your house tonight?" Brooke asked him.

"Of course you can," Lucas said. "I was going to make you, anyway."

"Thanks," she whispered. Karen picked them up, her eyes swollen from exhaustion and worry. Brooke began to apologize profusely, only to be cut off and told to rest.

Brooke fell into Lucas's bed in her bloody clothes. Lucas sighed and went to his drawer, pulling out one of his t-shirts.

"Come on," he coaxed. "Up!"

"No," Brooke moaned, burying her face in his pillows.

Lucas smiled affectionately, managing to wrestle her limp body out of her shirt. When he started to undo her pants, she suddenly gasped, her breath quick as she jerked away from him.

"Brooke, I'm so sorry," Lucas apologized.

She shook her head, her eyes shut tight. "No, it's fine. I'm sorry. Just..yeah."

Lucas watched her, nervous. She opened her eyes and offered him a tight smile. "Finish your job, Broody."

He laughed a little, gently sliding her jeans off and pulling his shirt onto her body. He got out of his own clothes and crawled into bed next to her. He kissed her lips softly at first and then hungrily, desperately, despite how tired he felt.

Brooke let out a little sigh, leaning into the kiss and running her nails down his back. He pulled away to look into her eyes, his own intense.

"God, Brooke, I thought I was going to lose you," he breathed. "I can't ever lose you, Brooke."

She touched his face. "You know I'm trying."

" I know," he said, leaning his face into her neck. "It's just hard, Brooke."

"I know," she whispered, holding him to her.

"I got to thinking, about my life without you," Lucas began, his voice choked. "I can't live that life, Brooke."

"Just breath, Broody. It's gonna be okay."

He let out a few more shaky breaths on her shoulder before rolling onto his back. She lay on top of him and rubbed her nose against his.

"I love you, Lucas. And we'll do the best we can."

He nodded, shutting his eyes and dropping a kiss to her forehead.

"Get some sleep, Brooke. You need it."

She snuggled against him and let herself succumb to her exhaustion.

**Box Up All The Butterflies**

It took a week before the three girls were back at school. Evidently, everyone had heard about their misadventures. Whispers and pointing followed the trio wherever they went.

"God," Peyton said, rolling her eyes. "You'd think they had better things to talk about."

"They will later," Brooke said, smirking.

"Brooke, what?" Haley called after her. She had walked off quickly ahead of them. The brunette ignored her. Haley turned to Peyton with raised eyebrows. "Well, this should be good."

It wasn't until third period that they figured out what was going on. They entered the auditorium for a special assembly and gasped as they saw Brooke and Chance on the stage. The girls joined Lucas, Nathan, and Jake, none of whom seemed to know what was going on.

"My name is Brooke Davis," Brooke said, stepping up to the mic. "I turn eighteen years old in one week. And I'm dying of cancer."

The entire auditorium fell so silent, you could have heard a pin drop. Lucas couldn't help but swell with pride, watching his beautiful, brilliant, brave girlfriend.

"And this is Chance Heatherly. She's five, and we're suffering from the same disease. In five weeks, I'm scheduled for a bone marrow transplant. But I might not make it that far. The two of us are here to fulfill one of her dreams, and to talk to you about what you can do to help people like me. Or even more importantly, people like Chance."

Chance grabbed the microphone from Brooke. "I have a theory," she said, her little voice strong. "Brooke and Lucas call it the Butterfly Theory. When people die, they become butterflies, so that they can be very beautiful and watch over the people they love."

Brooke was grinning down at her. She stepped up to the podium microphone and continued.

"As much as I love butterflies, I'd like to see a few less. So little Chance and I decided to start a little foundation. It's called Take a Chance. For the next two weeks in the quad, you can purchase a butterfly necklace, bracelet, or ring, and all of the proceeds will go toward helping children fighting cancer. You can also sign up to join the donor registry if you're eighteen."

Brooke went on to explain statistics, facts, and figures. The audience listened raptly, slightly distracted as Chance began to dissolve into obvious boredom.

"Brooke," she interuppted in a loud whisper into her own mic. "Can we do the dance now?"

Brooke laughed, as did the rest of the auditorium. "All right. I'll wrap this up with that dream I was talking about. As a little background, I met Chance because I was asked to be her cheer mentor. Now, I'm proud to show off my little student. Give it up for the newest Ravens cheerleader, Chance Heatherly!"

Brooke nodded to Mouth, who hit the song. Sugary sweet pop music flooded the speakers and the students began to cheer wildly. Chance nodded at Brooke with a toothy grin. Brooke nodded back to the beat, counting off.

The two began a cheer and dance, perfectly in sync. Haley laughed as she recognized something.

"It's the Sparkle Classic!" she giggled. "Brooke is finally gonna get to finish her routine!"

"Or not!" Peyton said, bursting out laughing. At exactly the part where she herself had fallen, ruining the routine, Brooke and Chance began to dance wildly around the stage, screaming the lyrics at each other.

"Come on," Lucas said, pulling his friends up. "Let's do it like the Classic!"

The Ravens players and cheerleaders flooded the stage, dancing around like maniacs. Lucas lifted Chance up, twirling her around. He kissed Brooke and the three hopped up and down, giggling.

"Careful," Lucas warned in her ear. "Ribs, babe."

"I know, I know," she laughed.

Lucas beamed as he watched Peyton and Jake twirl around. Nathan and Haley were cautiously dancing, given Haley's fragile pregnancy. The three girls converged, snatching Chance from Lucas and playing air guitars.

Brooke looked at Lucas, her eyes sparkling. When she looked at him like that, it was easy to ignore the fading bruises on her body. His girlfriend was so brave, so strong, and so full of life. He refused to believe there was any chance she would die.


	27. Chapter 27

**Normally, I'd procrastinate on updating since I've cranked out a lot of chapters lately, but I absolutely love all of my readers and reviewers, so here's another one for you guys! Thank you so much for all of your input, it really means a lot that you guys take the time to write reviews and tell me your thoughts on it! **

"Miss Davis!" a voice barked from down the hall later that day. She was putting her books away in her locker, trying to fight off the exhaustion that was threatening to take over.

Whitey was stalking toward her, and Brooke felt dread settle in her stomach. When he reached her and opened his mouth to speak, she cut him off.

"I know you're giving the squad to Theresa. And it's okay, I understand. I haven't been around much and it's-"

"Shut up, Davis," he said, his voice affectionate. "I'm not giving away your squad. I just wanted to tell you that I expect you and your girls to be ready for State."

Brooke's jaw dropped, absolutely stunned. "Absolutely! We'll be ready!"

"Very good."

Brooke called after him as he began to walk off. "Whitey! I'm sorry about Nathan. That was my fault."

Whitey smiled at her. "State's not for five weeks, Davis. Scott's cast will be off by then."

Brooke squealed in happiness, turning back to her locker. Amongst the photos of her and Lucas that he had placed in it, she had added a few more. There were two photos of Nathan and Brooke, one a photostrip from the seventh grade and another from after a basketball game their Junior year. There was one of Brooke with Jake and Jenny. Jenny was laughing, obviously cracking Brooke up. Jake was ruffling Brooke's hair and laughing as well. Then there was one of Brooke and Peyton at the Halloween party at Tric, making funny faces. And last but not least, there was one of Haley and Brooke, back to back, jokingly throwing their arms off to show off their apartment. It had been the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

"What are you so happy about?" Jake asked, leaning against his locker, which was next to hers.

"Oh, all kinds of things," she grinned. "Nathan can play in State and I still have my squad."

Jake pulled her into a one armed hug. "It's good to see you smiling, Brooke. You deserve to."

"Thank you," she chirped. "How are you and the little one?"

"We're great," Jake said. "Jenny's starting to talk more and more."

"I've noticed! She calls me Bookie now," Brooke said with a smile.

Jake laughed. "She's having a really hard time with Lucas and Haley. Those L's seem to be giving her a run for her money."

"Chance wants to have a playdate with her soon, I told her that Peyt and I would take them to the aquarium," Brooke said.

"Jenny would love that, she loves that place."

"Great!"

"I also wanted to ask you something," Jake said nervously.

"I don't know if Peyton and I can handle another love triangle, Jake," Brooke teased. He shoved her lightly.

"I'm thinking of proposing to Peyton," he said seriously.

Brooke's eyes went wide. "What?"

"I know," he winced. "Too soon, right?'

"No!" Brooke gasped, overjoyed. "The girl proposed to _you _months ago."

"True," he grinned. "I was wondering if you would help me pick out a ring."

"Absolutely!" Brooke squealed. "Oh my God, this is going to be so much fun."

"I knew you were the girl to talk to. I'll call you after school to set up a day," Jake said, giving her another hug before setting off to his class. Brooke couldn't help but smile like a loon for the rest of the day, especially whenever she saw Peyton.

After school, Brooke finally returned to cheer practice. With a glare at Theresa, Brooke set down her boom box.

"All right, girls, State is in five weeks. And unless we want to look like idiots on national television, we've got our work cut out for us."

Theresa glared. "You planning on showing up?"

"I plan on whipping your fat ass into shape," Brooke shot back. "Anyone else have something to say?"

"Just that I'm glad the head bitch in charge is back," Rachel grinned. Brooke grinned back. She and Rachel hadn't had much time together, but their friendship was still there.

"Okay, so I'm thinking we go Old School," Brooke said. She launched into an explanation of her vision for their choreography, having Rachel help demonstrate the moves she couldn't do. Haley pulled Brooke aside.

"Brooke, I don't know if I'll be able to dance at State," Haley said nervously.

"Hales, I don't want you dancing at all!" Brooke exclaimed. "You can stand on the sidelines and cheer with us, but I want both feet firmly on the ground at all times."

Haley grinned. "Thanks for understanding, Brooke."

"My godbaby is not popping out before I'm good and ready for it," the brunette joked.

Lucas couldn't help but watch Brooke worriedly from where he was practicing.

"She's okay, man," Nathan assured from the bench. Lucas nodded.

"Keep an eye out?"

"I've got it," Nathan agreed, watching both Haley and Brooke closely.

When both practices were over, the six friends all headed over to Karen's cafe for an early dinner. Peyton and Jake stopped at his parent's house to grab Jenny, and Brooke swung by Charlotte's to pick up Chance.

"We're the only ones without a little one!" Haley pouted. Nathan pointed at her stomach.

"I beg to differ, Hales."

Everyone laughed, and Karen came to take their order.

"Well hi there," Karen said, kneeling down to Chance's level. "You must be the little girl who stole my son's heart."

"No," Chance said after a moment of thought. "You must be thinking of Brooke. This is Brooke Davis."

Karen laughed, amused. "I know Brooke, sweetie. I'm Lucas's mom, Karen. What's your name?"

"I'm Chance Heatherly!" she said proudly. "Your son is a very nice boy. He buys me ice cream and helps me reach stuff that I'm too little for."

"Well, I'm very glad," Karen said, looking at her son with pride. "What can I get you, sweetie?"

"So," Peyton said after they had all ordered, "nice stunt during third, B. Davis."

Brooke giggled. "Sorry for the lack of warning. I wanted it to be a surprise."

"I think you shocked the whole school," Lucas said. "Skills seemed a little mad that no one told him."

Brooke bit her lip in concern. "Oh God. I should really talk to him and Bev."

"At least Mouth was in on it," Haley supplied supportively. Brooke nodded.

"I was wondering if you wanted me to draw a poster for Take a Chance," Peyton offered. "I have a few really cool ideas."

"That would be amazing!" Brooke gushed gratefully. "Thank you so much, Peyton."

"Of course," Peyton replied. "Although I doubt it'll be as popular as your naked pics-"

"Sh!" Brooke said, nodded at Chance. Peyton laughed aplogetically.

"Naked pics?"

"It's a long story, baby girl," Lucas said, drawing her attention back to their game of tic tac toe. "Your turn."

It was hours before Brooke and Lucas returned to his house. Before they got there, he suddenly turned down Brooke's street.

"Broody-"

"Just hold on," Lucas said. "Trust me."

He lead her up the walkway, producing a new key which he showed her grandly. He put it in the lock, entering the house. He turned and immediately punched a code into a security system that hadn't been there before.

"Luke-"

He turned the lights on, and Brooke was stunned for what felt like the hundredth time that day. "Oh my God."

The house looked brand new. It had been completely cleaned, and the furniture had even been subtly rearranged.

"I wanted you to feel safe when you're ready to come back," Lucas said, pulling her to him in a hug. She tightened her arms around him, snuggling into his shoulder.

"Thank you so much, Boyfriend. This means so much to me."

"I wanted to make sure that you always have your own home," Lucas smiled, kissing her softly. "I know that it means a lot to you. And my house will always be yours too, but I know how you like to have your own space."

Brooke felt her heart swell. Just months ago, she had felt like Lucas didn't really know her, that he didn't really understand who she was past the flirtation and the games. He continued to surprise her with his consistent insight.

"Jake is going to propose to Peyton," Brooke said suddenly. Lucas didn't look surprised.

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah," Brooke said. "It's sort of funny, how all of us are so...serious, you know? Everyone else is debating whether or not to break up before college, and we're all settling down."

"I guess we're just old souls," Lucas shrugged with a smile.

"Or we're just lucky," Brooke replied. "And we met the people we're meant to be with earlier than most others."

"That too," Lucas said, putting his arms around her waist. He rubbed his nose against hers. "A very wise girl once told me that people that are meant to be together always find their way in the end."

"She sounds like a genius."

"Very pretty, too."

"Oh really?"

"Oh yeah."

He leaned his head down to capture her lips in a kiss. Before they knew it, they were absolutely wrapped up in each other, the kiss escalating rapidly. Without even realizing it, they began to unconsciously make their way toward the stairs, Brooke's shirt tossed carelessly on the ground. She tugged at the hem of his shirt as she walked backward up the stairs, her lips not leaving his. He broke away long enough to remove his shirt before putting his hands on the back of her thighs, lifting her up. She secured her legs around him, letting him carry her into her room, placing her gently on the bed.

"Brooke, are you sure you're up for-"

"Shut up and kiss me," she breathed, pulling him back down.

After nearly an hour of enjoying quite a bit more than each other's company, they lay together, exhausted.

"Would it be okay if I sleep here tonight?" Brooke said suddenly, breaking the peaceful silence.

"Of course," Lucas said, his voice a little surprised. "It just seems a little soon."

"If I don't start getting used to being by myself, I never will," Brooke said. "I'll call you if I get scared."

"Okay," he said, kissing her shoulder. "I should probably get going, my mom's probably getting worried."

She rolled over, kissing him fully. "Would you mind staying while I take a quick shower? The bathroom is still a little scary."

"No problem, pretty girl," he smiled, kissing her again and watching her get up. "You're so gorgeous, Brooke."

"Oh hush," she giggled, but she was blushing.

By the time she got out, he was dressed, lounging on her bed. He stayed while she got dressed, tucking her into bed and kissing her on the forehead.

"Get some rest, pretty girl. You had quite a day."

She smiled and snuggled into her pillows, puckering her lips for a kiss. He laughed, kissing her several times.

"I love you, Lucas Scott."

"I love you too, Brooke Davis," he smiled. He went to leave, turning around at the door. "Soon to be Scott."

She gave him a look. "You're still on that?"

"You bet I am," he grinned cheekily. "You're going to marry me, Brooke. You'll see."

He turned off the light, leaving Brooke laying in bed with a cheek splitting smile.


	28. Chapter 28

**If anyone knows where I can download One Tree Hill clips, please let me know! I've been dying to make a trailer of this. Here's another chapter for you guys! **

A loud ringing awoke Lucas at four o'clock in the morning after falling asleep that night. He sleepily answered his phone, not quite awake enough to be concerned. Sobbing was all he could hear from the other line, and as the sleepy haze fell away, he was struck with concern.

"Brooke?"

"I'm sorry to wake you," the brunette hiccupped. "I'm just-I'm really scared, I tried to get through it by myself, I promise, but-"

"Pretty girl," Lucas cut her off with a soothing tone. "You don't have to get through it alone, it's okay. I'm here."

"I'm sorry I woke you up."

"Don't be sorry, babe," Lucas comforted, turning on his light and sitting up. "It's all okay."

"I'm just gonna go," she sniffled suddenly. "I'm really sorry. I love you, get some sleep."

"Brooke-"

But she had all ready hung up. Sighing, Lucas got up, throwing on a T-shirt and sweats and grabbing some clothes for the morning, shoving them into his basketball bag. He left a note on the table for his mom before getting in his car and driving into the dark.

When he arrived at Brooke's, all of the lights were on. He cautiously opened the door, not wanting to scare her. Brooke was at the bottom of the stairs with a bat when as soon as he entered. He held up his hands in surrender.

"I didn't want to scare you," he said gently as she slowly lowered the bat to the ground. She threw herself into his arms, crying again.

"Thank you so much," she cried into his shoulder. "You really didn't have to come."

"I know I didn't," Lucas said, smiling into her hair. "I wanted to. Now let's get you to bed. Have you slept at all?"

She shrugged. "Like, half an hour?"

Lucas furrowed his brow in concern. "That does not count."

"I know, I know," she grumbled, allowing him to take her hand and lead her up the stairs. "It's just hard when I keep thinking I hear noises."

"Hey," Lucas said, stopping her with a kiss as they entered her room. "I'm here now, okay? I'll protect you."

"I know," she said with a cute little smile, wrapping her arms around his waist and squeezing him tightly. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'll never have to find out."

She grinned, crawling into bed and finally relaxing as he got in next to her. Within minutes, she was completely asleep. Lucas, however, couldn't seem to get back to sleep. He sat up, watching his girlfriend sleep. The next day was Saturday, giving him plenty of time to sleep in if he wanted.

He simply couldn't stop thinking. He couldn't stop worrying about what would happen if, by some horrible chance, Derek did return to come back for his girlfriend. Or if, God forbid, she didn't make it to her transplant date. He finally fell into a fitful sleep about an hour later, only to be awoken at nine by his phone ringing. When he opened his eyes, he found Brooke trying to silence it with a grimace.

"Sorry," she whispered as he answered it. He smiled at her sleepily.

"Hi Lucas, this is Dr. Grant. I hope I didn't wake you."

"It's okay," Lucas said. "What's up? Is there a problem?"

"No, no," Dr. Grant said. "I just wanted to tell you some amazing news. I can't even believe it myself, but you're a match for Chance."

Lucas laughed in hysterical happiness. "I can't believe it. This is amazing."

"I know," Dr. Grant agreed, obviously just as excited. "I'll give you a call to have you come in for an exam and to talk about possible dates for the procedure."

"Absolutely," Lucas said. "I can't wait to tell Brooke. She's going to be thrilled."

"Tell me what?" Brooke exclaimed, bouncing on the bed to straddle his waist as soon as he hung up.

"That I'm a match for Chance," Lucas grinned, nearly crying with happiness. Brooke's eyes instantly filled with tears.

"You're kidding," she breathed. "Lucas, that's absoutely...it's just..."

"I know," Lucas beamed, gladly receiving her passionate kiss. "I can't believe it."

"That's like, a one in a million chance," Brooke gasped, flopping down beside him. "She's going to be so excited."

"What are you all dressed for?"

"Jake is picking me up," Brooke said simply. "Oh crap, he's gonna be here any minute and I'm not ready!"

"You look great, Brooke," Lucas laughed. "Where are you two going?"

"Engagement ring shopping," Brooke chirped. "My P. Sawyer needs the perfect ring, you know."

"When are you gonna let me put a ring on your pretty little finger?" Lucas mumbled, grabbing her hand as she got up and kissing it. She sighed, obviously amused and obviously trying very hard not to melt.

"In ten years," she teased, sticking out her tongue. She went to the closet, and Lucas saw her sway on her feet for a moment.

"Brooke, are you okay?" he asked, leaping up to go to her side.

"I'm fine," Brooke huffed, pushing him away. She stepped forward and stumbled, grabbing on to a rack of clothes. "Woah."

"You're not fine," Lucas argued. "Go sit down, I'll get you whatever you're looking for."

"My brown blazer," she said, walking back to the bed. Lucas found it easily in her color coordinated wardrobe, bringing it to her and staring down at her worriedly.

"Let me make you something to eat."

"Jake will be here soon." Brooke tried to argue.

"He can eat with us," Lucas shot back from the hallway. "But you've got to eat and sleep like a normal human being, Brooke."

"I'm fine!" she called after him, but it was in vain. He was all ready heating up a pan to make her breakfast. She sighed, collecting her stuff and meeting her boyfriend in the kitchen. A knock at the door ellicited a startled yelp from Brooke before she composed herself. "That must be Jake."

She went to stand but Lucas gently pushed her back into her chair, giving her a furtive look. He opened the door and greeted Jake.

"Hey man, come on in. I'm just force feeding Brooke some breakfast if you want some."

"Thanks, but Peyton all ready did the same to me," Jake laughed. "She was pretty stoked that you and I are, and I quote, bonding like bros, today."

Brooke wrinkled her nose. "When is that hoe ever gonna get the hoes over bros thing?"

Lucas and Jake exchanged a confused glance before shrugging.

"So, J. Jagielski, where are we going shopping?"

"I was hoping you could tell me," Jake grimaced. Brooke rolled her eyes.

"You're hopeless. We'll start at the antique mall. Classic Peyton."

"Do you think she'd like an antique ring?" Jake asked worriedly. Brooke pinned him with a look.

"Are you kidding? P. Sawyer is all about vintage and quirky."

"That's true," Jake said thoughtfully.

"Trust me, Jake," Brooke said, patting his hand. She missed the strange look that Lucas was giving the two of them. "I've known her since we were kids."

Jake grinned, tickling her side. "Thanks, Bookie."

"Welcome, Dad," Brooke giggled.

Lucas narrowed his eyes watching his girlfriend interact with his friend. Brooke was a natural charmer, he knew that. But there was a tender affection in the way that they were looking at each other that just didn't sit right with him.

"What's Peyton up to today?" Lucas asked pointedly. Jake hardly tore his eyes from the brunette.

"I think she was planning on spending some time with Haley," Jake explained.

"Maybe I'll join them."

"That could be fun!" Brooke chirped as Lucas set down her breakfast. "Thanks Luke!"

His stomach knotted. Brooke almost always called him a little pet name whenever he did something nice for her. She's reach up and give him a sweet kiss, or make a saucy little joke. Instead, she barely made eye contact.

"Or maybe I'll come with you guys," Lucas said suddenly. Brooke looked up, confused.

"You'll be bored to death ring shopping," Brooke pointed out, taking a sip of her juice.

"It sounds fun to me," Lucas persisted.

"Okay," Jake said slowly, looking equally as confused. "You're more than welcome to join us."

"Oh am I really?"

"Lucas," Brooke admonished. "What is going on?"

Lucas glared at her, unable to control himself. "Why don't you tell me?"

"What are you _talking _about?" Brooke hissed.

"The two of you," the blonde growled. "You know what, have a nice day, Brooke. I'll see you later. Or not. Whatever."

With that, her boyfriend stormed out of her house.

"What the hell?" Brooke mumbled, staring at the door. "What just happened?"

Jake groaned. "I think I just made Lucas Scott my enemy."

"But why?" Brooke yelped. "I don't get what just went down in here."

"He's jealous," Jake explained. "He seems to think something is going on between us."

"I don't act any differently with you than I do with Nate!" Brooke protested.

"But I'm the one who's giving you bone marrow," Jake pointed out. "I don't even think he realizes it, but that makes him jealous. He wants to be the one to save you. It kills him that he can't help you with this."

Brooke rolled her eyes but smiled. "You're a smart cookie, baby daddy."

"So I've been told."

"Let's go get this ring!" Brooke said, standing up and back to her cheery self. "I'll talk to Lucas later. This day is about my best friend."

"After you, m'lady," Jake joked, bowing as she walked by him. She giggled and grabbed the keys to her Bug, offering to drive.

When they got in the car, Brooke hit the stereo, singing along to the poppy song that came on. To her surprise, Jake sang along as well, harmonizing perfectly with her voice.

"Woah! Since when are you a rockstar?" Brooke exclaimed.

Jake laughed. "I've always played and sang, I just get a little shy with it."

"I'm putting together a Take a Chance benefit and you are so playing!"

"Brooke-"

"Don't even kid yourself, it is so happening!"

Jake groaned but smiled. There was no arguing with Brooke.

They reached the antique mall, and Brooke immediately dragged him in to the ritziest looking one. Brooke lead the way to the jewelry cases, inspecting rings with a keen eye.

"I have no idea what we're looking at here," Jake supplied helplessly. Brooke rolled her eyes.

"I figured as much. I'll pick a few and you decide."

Jake watched as she shrewdly examined row after row of rings before suddenly gasping, backing away from the case with her hand over her mouth.

"What?" Jake asked, a little worried.

"That one," Brooke whispered. She looked absolutely stunned and even a little upset. "It's the exact same ring that Peyton's mom had. We took it once, to school to show off, and we dropped it somewhere along the line. Anna was so mad at us, it was her and Larry's engagement ring."

"It can't be the same one," Jake said realistically.

"But it is," Brooke replied. She was absolutely sure. "Excuse me! Can I see that ring?"

"We just got this one," the woman said. "It's beautiful, isn't it? Someone sold it to us out of the blue."

Brooke picked it up greedily and inspected the inside of the ring. Just as she suspected. It was engraved with five simple words: I will always love you.

"This is it," Brooke whispered, shocked.

"Are you two shopping for something in particular?"

"An engagement ring," Jake explained, too stunned to explain further.

"Well, it looks like your lady loves this one," the woman teased.

"We'll take it!" Brooke exclaimed. The woman rang it up and the total came up at a startling amount.

"Brooke," Jake whispered in her ear. "I cannot afford that."

Brooke slapped down a credit card. "Consider it a gift for saving my life."

"I can't let you-"

"Yes you can," Brooke said. "She is my best friend, and you are saving my life. This is more than okay."

Jake sighed. "Thank you so much."

He hugged her tightly, burying his face in her hair, unaware of the two blondes staring in from outside the window.

"She's going to bawl," Brooke said excitedly as they pulled away, clapping her hands together excitedly. She stumbled a little, her head suddenly spinning. "Woah. Jake, I think I'm gonna-"

"Jesus!" Jake exclaimed, dropping to the floor beside her as she passed out. "Brooke! Brooke, honey, wake up!"

Lucas and Peyton, upset and angry from what appeared to be a public display of affection that they had previously witnessed, were long gone as Jake tried fruitlessly to wake Brooke.

"Call 911!" he shouted to the saleslady. "Please, she has cancer, she needs help!"

Jake's panicked calls to Lucas and Peyton were all sent straight to voicemail and he sighed, anxiously awaiting the sirens as he sat on the floor beside his fallen friend.

**Well, there ya have it! I decided to add a little more drama and a little more of Brooke being sick. Also, I know that Lucas being a match for Chance is SO unrealistic, but I couldn't help myself. I wrote her in with the intention of killing her off, but I just couldn't do it! And I loved the idea of Lucas being the one to help her. **


	29. Chapter 29

"Hello?" Haley answered her cell. She was sitting at home, alone and quite bored. Nathan had gone to the gym and she had hunkered down with some ice cream and The O.C.

"Haley," Jake's urgent voice replied. "Thank God. Peyton and Lucas are both ignoring me because of some made up drama and Brooke is in the hospital and I've been sitting here waiting for news and-"

"Woah, woah," Haley said. "Slow down. Brooke is in the hospital?"

"We were ring shopping and she just passed out. I couldn't get her to wake up," Jake said, obviously upset. "I called Lucas and Peyton but they both kept ignoring my calls. Lucas had stormed out on Brooke this morning."

Haley heaved a deep sigh. "I'll be right there, and I'll be bringing Dumb and Dumber with me, okay? Just hang in there, Jake."

Haley got up, holding her hand to brace her back. She was starting to get slightly large now, and she placed her hands on her stomach, as she tended to do when she was worried.

"Well, buddy, off to the hospital we go."

When she arrived at Lucas's house minutes later, she was not surprised to see Peyton's Comet outside.

"Lucas!" Haley yelled, entering his room. She backed up in shock. Lucas and Peyton were lying on his bed together, his arm wrapped around her waist from behind. "What in the fuck are you two doing?"

Both blondes sat up, surprised. "It was nothing," Peyton said. Her eyes were red-rimmed. "Just friends comforting each other."

Haley scoffed. "You two are ones to talk. I came by to tell you that Brooke is in the hospital. Don't bother showing up. She doesn't need the drama."

She slammed the door and began to stalk back to her car as quickly as a pregnant woman could. Lucas followed close behind her.

"Haley, that was not what it looked like, and you don't know the whole story."

Haley whipped around, furious. "I don't care what it was and I don't care what the story is. When someone that you _know _is with your sick girlfriend, and he calls you nearly twenty times in a row, you answer it. I don't care what happened. I don't care if you were mad at her. It's like what Brooke said at my wedding. When life gets hard, when things change, true love remains the same. Even if you're mad, you're supposed to love her enough to worry about her, especially given her condition."

"Haley, I didn't know!" Lucas exclaimed, agitated and upset. "I'm coming with you."

"So am I," came Peyton's defiant voice. "I don't care if you're mad, Hales. This is between me, Lucas, Brooke, and Jake."

Haley rolled her eyes. "Fine. Whatever. But when she lashes out at the both of you, it's your funeral."

"She doesn't need to know about any of this," Peyton rushed to say.

Haley glared at her. "Of course she does."

"How is she gonna know?" Lucas asked. "It was nothing. We were barely even cuddling. There's no reason to upset her."

"You're right," Haley admitted grudgingly, opening the car door. "But I'm not doing this for you. When she gets better, I'm telling her what I saw."

"Haley-"

"Shut up, Peyton. Please. Let's just worry about Brooke right now."

The ride to the hospital was full of tense, uncomfortable silence. When they arrived, Haley lead the way into the waiting room, where Jake sat with his head in his hands. He stood and pulled Haley into a hug immediately, not even noticing the two blondes lagging behind her.

"We were just standing there, and she was all excited one second. Then she stumbled and next thing I knew, she was down-"

"I'm sure you were just standing there," Peyton mumbled mockingly, brushing her toe against the floor.

"What did I say?" Haley snapped, reeling on her. "This is not about you or whatever love triangle-square thing is going on in your heads!"

"Look, there is nothing going on between Brooke and I," Jake said seriously. "She was helping me with a surprise for you."

"I saw you!" Peyton shouted. "I saw you at the antique store, holding her! I saw you!"

"Peyton!" Jake exclaimed, cutting off her hysteria. "You have no idea what you saw. I was hugging her because I was thanking her. She did me a huge favor."

"Then why did Lucas say you guys looked like way more than friends this morning?" Peyton pouted.

"Because he doesn't know what he saw either! Brooke and I are close! I don't get why nobody knows that about us, but we are. So we banter. But Luke, you twisted that because I think deep down, you're jealous that I'm the one who's saving Brooke-"

"Shut up," Lucas growled, his voice low.

Haley stepped between them. "I have had _enough. _I am tired, worried, and pregnant. Lucas, shut up! Jake is right. Peyton, calm down. Brooke has never given you a reason to not trust her. So just back off, both of you, and worry about what's really important here! I am going to call my husband, and if, when I come back, you children are still fighting, I will personally kick your _ass!" _

With that, Haley waddled off, leaving a stunned, awkward silence in her wake.

"You're wrong," Lucas said quietly, but his voice was full of anger. "First of all, that is not why I'm jealous. I'm jealous because you're obviously hooking up with _my _girlfriend. And second, you're not saving Brooke. Don't flatter yourself. I'm the one who saved her. This whole time, I've been saving her-"

"Oh really?" Jake spat. "You've been saving her? When? When she broke up with you because, oh wait, _my girlfriend _kissed _you? _After you two had gone behind her back before? Or when you screamed at her and called her a slut? Or when you put those bruises on her wrists?"

"You weren't there for any of that," Lucas hissed.

"I wasn't," Jake agreed, his voice calm. "But Brooke called me, back then. We're close. We are _friends. _She cared about me because Peyton did. Anyone that Peyton loves, Brooke loves."

"That's obvious," Peyton said sarcastically.

"You know what? I'm not going to keep explaining myself to you. Either of you. You obviously want Brooke and I to have been fooling around behind your back. We haven't been. I care about Brooke. Peyton, I love you. Brooke loves you, Lucas. If you two don't get that, then there's nothing I can do."

"It's obvious what's going on," Peyton said stubbornly.

Jake shook his head. "Ya know, if anyone has a right to be suspicious, it's Brooke and I. You two have cheated before. Peyton, you proposed to me and then said I love you Lucas in your sleep. Then took off and kissed him while he was dating Brooke, and told her you had feelings for him, knowing she'd break up with him. But we have faith in you guys. It's pretty fucked up that you don't have the same faith in us even though we haven't betrayed you."

With that, Jake walked away from them. Peyton watched him go, tears in her eyes.

"What if we're wrong?"

"You are," Haley said from behind them. "And I ran in to Dr. Grant. He said she's running a high fever and she's asleep. He doesn't want anyone to visit her yet, but thinks she should be cleared to go home tonight. Nathan is on his way, and if I were you two, I'd stay out of his way when he gets here."

"Why is everyone always against the two of us?" Lucas growled.

"Because you two keep fucking everything up!" Haley exclaimed.

Lucas took in her words, everything finally hitting him as he slumped in a chair.

"Did I get through your thick skull yet?" Haley asked, arms crossed. He nodded meekly and she sat across from him, obviously satisfied. "Good. You're an idiot."

"I'm gonna go find Jake," Peyton mumbled softly, standing up and shuffling in the direction her boyfriend had stormed off to.

"She's gonna be okay, right?" Lucas mumbled into his hands.

"I hope so," Haley said, her voice suddenly very sad. "Lucas, she might not make it to that transplant."

"I know that."

"I sometimes wonder if you do," Haley said thoughtfully. "You fight with her and then spend the rest of your time giving her these grand declarations of love. I think what Brooke wants is just plain and simple, content love. It doesn't have to be epic for her to be happy."

"The fights just happen," Lucas defended. "And I just want to show her I care."

"I know," Haley said sympathetically. "But it's the little things that make her the happiest, ya know? Like when you can order for her at a restaurant because you know her so well. Taking her to the Rivercourt to watch you play. That kind of stuff makes her the happiest. She just wants to be a part of your heart."

"She's the biggest part."

"I think it's hard to see that sometimes, through all the speeches and the decorated lockers," Haley said simply.

"I asked her to marry me," Lucas said suddenly. "She keeps saying no."

Haley's jaw dropped. She sat in stunned silence, not even noticing her husband storming toward them. Before she could say anything, Nathan had grabbed Lucas by the collar, heaving him from his chair and slamming him against a wall.

"What kind of jackass are you?" the brunette growled at his brother. "You know better than to ignore calls like that."

"I'm sorry, Nathan," Lucas said pitifully. "I get it, okay?"

Nathan dropped his hands and backed off. "You can be a real ass sometimes."

"I know."

It wasn't until two hours later that they were told they could come visit.

"Can I go first?" Lucas asked his friends tentatively. "I need to talk to her."

Haley, Nathan, Peyton, and even Jake nodded in approval. He took a deep breath and went to the room where his girlfriend lay weakly.

"Hi Broody," she said in her raspy drawl. "I'm sorry about this morning. I didn't mean to make you feel bad-"

"Haley caught me in bed with Peyton," Lucas burst out.

"Excuse me?" Brooke asked slowly.

"Nothing happened. We weren't doing anything. I was pissed after I left your house, and I went to Peyton's and vented to her. We went to the antique mart to spy on you guys, and I saw Jake holding you, and I flipped out. Peyton was in tears. We went back to my house, and we were just laying there, I promise you."

Brooke's face fell. She looked absolutely devastated, and Lucas would do anything to wipe that expression off of her pretty face and replace it with a smile.

"How could you think that?" Brooke whispered, her voice thick.

"What?" Lucas breathed.

"How could you think I would do that to you?"

"I don't know, Brooke. I just-I went crazy, babe, but I promise you, I know that you never would."

He moved to take her hand, but she snatched it away. "I just want to go home."

"Brooke, you should stay with me," Lucas said desperately. "Just think of last night, how scared you were-"

"I don't need you," she said, her voice low and numb.

"Pretty girl-"

"Don't, Lucas. I need time."

"Peyton and Jake are fine, they made up," Lucas pleaded. "Please, Brooke, forgive me."

"I'm not mad at you, Lucas," she whispered, and he was brutally reminded once again of when she had uttered those words before.

"Don't do this to me, Brooke," Lucas said, his face crinkled in pain. "You know I love you. I want to marry you, for godsake."

"I want to see Haley," Brooke said after a moment of quiet thought.

"Brooke, please-"

"Stop it!" she shouted suddenly. "Stop. I can't believe that the first thing you did was hop in bed with Peyton-"

"Nothing happened!"

"It hurts just the same," Brooke hissed. "Please leave. And send Haley in."

Lucas swallowed hard and left the room. He passed Haley and kept his head down so she couldn't see the tears in his eyes.

"Brooke wants you, Hales," he said, but his cracking voice sold him out. His friends watched him sadly as he walked defeatedly out of the hospital.


	30. Chapter 30

Days later, Lucas watched Brooke worriedly from across the gym. She was barking orders at her cheerleaders, determinedly continuing on with her cheer routine despite Dr. Grant's warnings that she should be spending as much time resting as possible.

"Scott!" Whitey barked. "You can check on your girlfriend later!"

His words felt like a knife to the chest. He couldn't. Brooke hadn't spoken to him since that day in the hospital. From what he'd heard, she hadn't spoken to Peyton, either. And although Jake and Peyton had stopped fighting, they were far from mended. Haley had told him that Brooke wasn't doing as well as she was trying to pretend. Haley and Nathan had woken up every night to calls from a sobbing, terrified Brooke. One call was so upsetting that the couple had driven to her house in the dead of the night to comfort her. She had been profusely apologetic and embarrassed, but the two had started sleeping at her house out of concern for her health, both emotionally and physically.

The worst part for Lucas had been hearing about her falling in the shower the night before. And yet here she was, at school and at cheer practice. According to Haley, her and Nathan were concerned after Brooke had been in the shower for nearly forty five minutes. The two had finally knocked on the door to no avail, and Nathan had impatiently burst in to find Brooke unconscious on the shower floor.

It was driving Lucas insane that he was only hearing this second hand. And he felt bad for Chance, who kept questioning why they only seemed to visit her one at a time instead of together. She wanted to spend time with both of them at the same time, and both teens were lying to her about the state of affairs to prevent her from being upset.

"Brooke!" a sudden voice shouted, pulling him out of his concentration on both basketball and his thoughts.

"What?" the feisty brunette snapped, whipping her head around to stare at Peyton.

"You're going to hurt yourself," Peyton said bravely, crossing her arms. "You need to take a break."

"You can tell me what to do when you stop crawling in bed with my boyfriend," Brooke hissed, causing the cheerleaders around the two to recoil at the obvious tension.

"Guys, come on," Haley said meekly, the only one not to have backed away. "Not here."

Brooke ignored her. "Look, Peyton, I don't need you or anyone else to tell me what to do. I am fine. I know what's best for me. I don't need to be told by some two-faced whore, okay?"

"Brooke," Peyton gasped, obviously wounded. "I know that I hurt you, but don't go back to this. I can't take that again."

"Well, you should have thought about that," Brooke shot back. "Oh wait, I forget. You never think of me when it comes down to Lucas Scott."

Peyton glared, getting angry now. "Lucas explained to you what happened, Brooke. You're determined to believe that we cheated because you're insecure and you're scared."

"That sounds more like what you and Lucas thought about me and Jake," Brooke replied. "Either shut up and do what you're told or get off my team, Peyton."

Brooke turned to the rest of the squad and clapped her hands loudly, causing them all to jump.

"I want the routine from the top ten more times before we leave. And it better be right," she said with a glare at Peyton. She hit the boom box on. "Five, six, seven, eight!"

Lucas watched helplessly from his side of the gym as the brunette launched into a rigorous dance routine despite the sheen of sweat on her skin and the sunken appearance of her eyes. It was obvious to everyone that Brooke's health was deteriorating, but she seemed determined to ignore that fact.

By the fourth repeat of the routine, Brooke was looking worse for wear. Lucas, Nathan, and Jake were all distracted from the game as they took in the train wreck that Brooke Davis was becoming. It seemed as though Haley, who had been watching from the sidelines as promised, had had enough.

"Damn it, Brooke," the pregnant girl growled, yanking her by the arm and pulling her aside. "Keep going, the rest of you!"

"What the hell?" Brooke demanded, snatching her arm back.

"You're running yourself into the ground."

"No I'm not," Brooke insisted, but her words went against her body as her shaking legs finally gave way and she hit the ground. Haley kneeled beside her, feeling her forehead.

"Another fever, Brooke," Haley snapped. "You need to get some rest."

"Oh God," Brooke groaned. "Hales, I'm gonna be sick."

Haley stumbled to her own feet before hurriedly dragging Brooke up and helping the weak girl out of the gym. If there was one thing Brooke hated, it was appearing weak in front of others, particularly her peers. It wasn't until they were in the foyer that Brooke leaned on a trashcan for support and heaved the contents of her stomach into it.

"You were gone when Nathan and I woke up this morning," Haley pointed out when Brooke had sunk to the floor in exhaustion. "Did you eat this morning?"

"No," Brooke mumbled pitifully, curling her knees up to her chest on the ground.

"And all you had for lunch was a few crackers."

"I was too naseous to eat."

"But you still have to!" Haley demanded. "Look, honey, I know that you're trying to prove to the world that you don't need Lucas. But you do."

"I don't."

"You do," Haley insisted. "He always knows what food to give you that won't make you sick, he knows when you need to rest, and he's really the only person you'll listen to."

Just as Haley was finished speaking, the doors from the gym into the foyer swung open, and there stood Lucas.

"Brooke, I know you probably don't want me here," he said nervously, "and I get that, but I just wanted to see if you're okay or if there's anything I can get you."

"I'm fine," Brooke snapped, but softened when she saw how tired and worn out he looked. "Thank you though."

"Of course," Lucas said with a sad, defeated little nod. He went to leave but was stopped by Brooke's voice.

"Could you give me a ride home after practice?"

Lucas froze, shocked. "Yeah. Yeah, I can do that. Great. Okay. See you then."

Brooke laughed a little as he jogged back into the gym, nearly running in to the door.

"Thank you, Brooke," Haley said gratefully. "I can't watch you two dance around this anymore."

"I'm still hurt," Brooke said. "But at this rate, we're not going to make up until I die."

Haley pinned her with a stare. "Not funny, Davis."

"Always funny," Brooke said cheekily. Haley rolled her eyes. "What? My death jokes are hilarious."

"You're something else."

"So I'm told!"

The girls sat side by side in comfortable, companionable silence. Brooke heaved a sudden sigh, drawing Haley's attention.

"I should really apologize to Peyton, shouldn't I?"

Haley considered this. "To be honest, I don't think you have to. I think the two of you are kind of beyond apologies, don't you think?"

"I guess we're even," Brooke shrugged.

"Probably a little less than even," Haley said with a grin.

"True," Brooke smiled back. "Hey, you were there that day. I mean, do you think that it's something I should be worried about?"

Haley took a moment to think before speaking slowly. "I was startled because I didn't expect it. But honestly, I don't think you have to worry about them going behind your back or something. You saw Lucas just now. He hasn't been sleeping, he's constantly harrassing us all about you and how you're doing. He's been a wreck. And not because he's guilty like junior year. He loves you and it's killing both of you to be apart."

"Literally," Brooke mumbled before crawling back to the trashcan and vomiting again. Haley winced, awkwardly scooting to her to hold back her hair. When Brooke leaned back, she seemed sweatier than before and there was red on the corners of her mouth; undeniably, she was once again throwing up blood.

"Brooke," Haley gasped. "Honey, we need to get you home."

Brooke felt relieved that her friends had stopped jumping to hospitals straight away. Dr. Grant had explained to them that taking her in everytime something went wrong wasn't going to help. For the most part, there wasn't much that the hospital could do other than let her rest.

"Brooke?" came a tentative voice. Peyton stood their, looking awkward. She approached cautiously, putting a water bottle at Brooke's feet. "I thought you might need this."

"Thanks, P. Sawyer," Brooke said with a weak, shaky smile. Peyton smiled back and lowered herself to the ground.

"I sent the squad home," Peyton explained. "They finished all ten reps of the routine."

"Good," Brooke said. "How did it look?"

"Really great, Brooke. The choreography is awesome," Peyton smiled. Brooke nodded, leaning her head on Haley's shoulder.

"God, I'm tired."

"Because you've been carrying on like nothing's wrong," Haley scolded gently. "We'll get you home and cleaned up and in bed. I fully expect you to be asleep by nine tonight."

"Yes, mom," Brooke said obediently, causing all three girls to chuckle.

There was a certain degree of tension between Brooke and Peyton as the three girls sat there waiting for the boys to finish practice, but for the most part, Brooke was letting go of it. Every day, she felt weaker and weaker. She was starting to feel like time was running out, and if that was the case, she didn't want to waste the last few weeks of her life being angry or bitter. She wanted to spend them with the people she loved, whether they hurt her or not.

It wasn't much longer until the obviously tired and worried boys came into the foyer, their practice concluded. They all looked surprised to find all three girls sitting together but shook it off gracefully.

"You ready?" Lucas asked Brooke, shuffling from side to side on his feet. She nodded and started to stand, but shook and fell back down. She averted her eyes to the floor, obviously ashamed of her own weakness. Lucas instinctively bent down and lifted her by the waist, keeping his arm around her to support her as they walked back to the parking lot.

"Thanks," she mumbled.

"Of course," he murmured back. The two fell into an uncomfortable silence, their friends breaking off into their respective pairs and walking off to their own cars.

"Thanks for taking me home, too," she said as they got in his car. He nodded and tried to ignore the ache he felt in his chest now that they were no longer touching.

"I'm sorry, Brooke," he said as they pulled up to her house. His voice was gruff and husky. "I really didn't mean to hurt you. I overreacted and I was completely irrational."

"I know," she said softly. "You never mean to, Luke."

"Get some rest," he said gently, smiling at her a little. She tried to stand but as soon as she stepped on the sidewalk, she was down again. Lucas hastily got out of the car and ran to her side. "Brooke!"

"I'm okay," she mumbled. Her head was spinning as she lay on the concrete. Lucas scooped her up in his arms, carrying her and managing to unlock the front door after some difficulty.

"No you're not," Lucas said as he got her into bed. He sighed, brushing her hair away from her forehead. "I'll grab your pajamas for you, okay? I don't want you to shower right now."

"I'm so gross," she whispered with a wrinkled nose. "Please!" He shook his head and went to her dresser. When he turned around, she was trying to make her way into the bathroom, holding on to anything she could reach and shakily shuffling toward it.

"Crazy girl, what are you doing to my heart?" he yelped, dropping the clothes and grabbing her again. "I'll put you in the tub, okay? Door open, I'll stay in here in case you need me."

"Fine, fine," she said impatiently. He sat her on the sink while he ran on the bath and he turned back to her, running his hand over his hair.

"Where does this leave us?" Lucas asked suddenly. "I don't want to pressure you, but are we even together anymore? I don't know what's going on."

"We're together," Brooke affirmed. "Obviously, me ignoring you isn't accomplishing anything. I need you. I need someone to help take care of me because I can't do it alone. Nathan and Haley have been trying, but it's not the same."

Lucas approached her cautiously, reaching out to pull her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around him and snuggled her face into his neck, causing him to shiver.

"I love you, Brooke. Someday I'm going to get this right."

"You're not doing too bad, Lucas Scott," Brooke whispered, and he couldn't help but smile.


	31. Chapter 31

**I apologize for the extremely slow update! Things got crazy in my personal life and then I hit writer's block, but I'm hoping to be more consistent in my weeks leading up to going to college! So here we go, another chapter! **

****Chance's little face was screwed up in concentration as she, Lucas, and Brooke perused the wig store. She studied the smallest ones with scrutiny, deeming each one not quite right. Her bottom lip quivered as she turned to her companions.

"I hate all of these," she sniffled. "I just want to be pretty!"

"Honey," Brooke soothed, kneeling beside her, "hair isn't what makes you pretty. What makes you pretty is what's in here." She placed a hand on Chance's heart, giving her a supportive smile.

"Yeah," Lucas said with a smirk, "you think I fell in love with this one's looks?"

Chance giggled at that but still protested. "That's funny but Brooke is beautiful! I want beautiful hair like Brooke's."

"You're a very cute little thing," Lucas insisted, lifting her up. "I promise. Why don't we just find you something that looks okay until your hair grows back? It will, ya know."

"Yeah," Chance said grudgingly. "I'm scared for cutting off the rest of it."

"There's barely any left, babe," Brooke said sympathetically, running her hand over Chance's nearly smooth head. "How about this one?"

Brooke was holding up a light brown little wig, but received a vehement shake of the head in response. Brooke sighed before suddenly glancing out of the window with a twinkle in her eyes.

"I have an idea."

Lucas furrowed his brow in confusion but grabbed Chance's hand and followed his girlfriend out of the store and across the street into a beauty salon.

"Hi, I'm a walk-in," Brooke said to the receptionist. "It won't take long. I want it all shaved off."

"Brooke!" Lucas and Chance both gasped. She turned to them with a confident grin.

"Chance can have it," she shrugged.

"I can't take your hair!" Chance exclaimed, obviously shocked.

"Yes you can, and you will. You won't be the only baldie, baby girl."

"Well, looks like I'm getting shaved down, too," Lucas said with a wink.

Chance looked between them, eyes wide as saucers. She still looked just as shocked as Brooke was assigned a chair and stylist. The brunette finally showed some fear as the clippers turned on. She grimaced as they began to shave off her trademark chocolate locks. She looked at Lucas wearily.

"You promised to love me if I went bald."

"That promise still holds," he grinned, still holding Chance in his lap as another stylist started in on his hair. "I hope you feel the same."

"Your hair was getting gross anyway," Brooke shot back. Lucas stuck his tongue out at her, causing Chance to giggle.

Twenty minutes later, Brooke was leaving the salon, holding hands with Chance. Lucas was attached to the little girl on the other side, and all three were sporting shining bald heads.

"Peyton's going to have a heart attack," Lucas grinned. "You know how jealous she is of your hair."

"Well, it's my favorite girl's now," Brooke smiled, squeezing the little girl's hand. "Your wig will be done in a couple of days."

Chance suddenly threw herself at Brooke's legs, locking her arms around her knees.

"Thank you, Brooke. Thank you so much!"

"Of course, honey," Brooke smiled. "Anything for you."

"That's my line," Lucas teased.

Brooke smiled softly at the memory. "Now let's go get me a wig. Hot as I am, even I can't rock this."

Lucas gave her a sweet kiss. "I beg to differ."

"Ew," Chance said simply, grabbing each of their hands. "Stop sucking face and let's shop!"

"Who taught her that expression?" Lucas laughed.

"Haley," Chance piped up, causing Lucas and Brooke to share incredulous looks before bursting into laughter.

**BoxUpAllTheButterflies **

"I can't believe you cut your hair off," Peyton said to Brooke as they watched Chance push Jenny's stroller ahead of them. They had finally made their trip to the aquarium. Brooke laughed at Peyton's shock.

"You should have seen Chance's face."

"You know, Brooke, you've come a long way."

"What do you mean?" Brooke asked, wrinkling her brow.

"A year ago, I never thought that Brooke Davis would shave her head to make a little girl happy. And I knew you better than anyone. Maybe Luke knows you better now, but back then, I was really the only one who knew what was underneath all the clothes-"

"I think half the basketball team would beg to differ," Brooke teased.

Peyton laughed and nudged her gently. "In all seriousness, I'm just really impressed with you. I'm lucky to have such a kickass best friend."

"You bet you are," Brooke said with a flip of her wig. "And I'm lucky to have a best friend whose boyfriend can give me bone marrow!"

"We're both lucky on that one."

"How are you two?" Brooke asked tentatively.

Peyton sighed, running a hand through her blonde curls. "We're not quite where we were, ya know? We were really perfect before. I kind of screwed that up. But we're working on it, I guess. There's less and less awkward silence."

"I'm sorry," Brooke said sympathetically. "He really loves you, . It's all gonna work out."

Peyton bit her lip. "I'm the one that's sorry, Brooke. How are you and Luke?"

Brooke smiled unconsciously. "Things are great. He's practically moved in. I guess Andy came back from New Zealand to see Karen and Lucas is trying to give them some space. Which is very convenient for me."

"Look guys!" Chance screeched. She was enthusiastically pointing at some jellyfish. Brooke and Peyton ooh-ed and awed for a while before continuing their conversation.

"Rumor has it he asked you to marry him," Peyton said suddenly.

Brooke groaned. "Not so much asked. More like demanded."

"You're joking."

"Nope, he went all macho and was like, 'I can't let you die Brooke Davis, you have to die Brooke Scott, blah blah blah'. And here I am thinking, well thanks bud, bury me all ready why don't you?"

Peyton laughed. "You know he didn't mean it that way."

"I know," Brooke grumbled. "But God, way to take a girl off guard."

"Why do you keep saying no?" Peyton asked. "I've seen you doodle Brooke Davis-Scott in your notebooks enough to know that you'd really like to marry him."

Brooke took in a deep breath. "There's no guarantee that this surgery is going to work, Peyt. I can't marry him and then die. I'm not going to make him a widower at eighteen."

"He just wants to marry you," Peyton said simply. "He knows the risks. You have nothing to lose but a hell of a lot to gain. Trust me, take it from a girl who was close to having it all. Don't wait."

Brooke fell silent, watching Chance giggle as she tried to get Jenny's attention. Would she ever watch her and Lucas's own child play like that? Could she really put enough faith in her own health to marry him? Could she really put enough faith in their love to think that they could make it through?

She sighed and shook herself, following her best friend to their girls. She would think later. Now was her time to spend with Chance, Peyton, and Jenny. The rest of the world would have to wait.

When she arrived home, Lucas was laying face down on the floor in the living room.

"What are you doing?" she laughed.

"Training sucks," he groaned pitifully.

"Oh no, is my baby worn out?" Brooke teased, walking over and straddling his back. She slid his shirt up and began to massage him. With every touch he groaned, causing her to giggle and drop a kiss to his damp skin.

"God, Brooke, you're good at that."

"I get good reviews," she teased.

Lucas rolled over underneath her, causing her to elicit a squeal. "Those reviews better all be from Lucas Scott."

Brooke laughed at his pout, kissing his lips seductively. "You bet they are, Broody."

"That's what I like to hear," he murmured, flipping them over once again, suddenly not feeling so worn out.

After their little tryst, Brooke ordered some Chinese take out, content to sit on the living room couch with an Audrey Hepburn movie and her boyfriend.

"So how was the aquarium?"

"Really fun!" Brooke said enthusiastically. "The girls had a great time."

"I'm glad," Lucas said with a soft smile. "How did Chance seem?"

"She was okay," Brooke said assuringly. "I think she'll be fine until after State."

"Thank God."

"I can't believe State is next week," Brooke marveled. "So much has happened in five weeks."

Lucas snorted. "Yeah, you could say that."

"What do you say we head to bed?" Brooke smiled. "I'm pretty tired."

"Tired?" Lucas asked with a kinked eyebrow.

"Come find out," Brooke winked, dashing up the stairs. Lucas let out a playful growl, leaving dinner forgotten as he went after his girlfriend. When he reached the bedroom, she was laying in bed under the covers. "Sorry babe, I meant tired."

Lucas chuckled, kissing her softly and crawling in beside her. "Get some sleep, pretty girl."

"I love you, Lucas Scott."

"I love you, too, Brooke Scott."

"Luke."

"Brooke."

Silence.

"Okay."

"What?"

"Okay. I'll marry you."

Silence.

"Woah! Lucas! Oh my God, Luke-oh!"

Brooke Davis and Lucas Scott didn't get much sleep that night.


	32. Chapter 32

**I really didn't want to skip over State, but I didn't really have a choice because I suck at writing basketball scenes (haha). I hope you all enjoy this chapter regardless Also, there's now a trailer up on YouTube for this story, and an improved trailer will be coming soon, so check it out! The username is the same as my name on here! **

"I'm nervous," Chance whispered to Brooke as they waited in pre-op. Lucas was in the bed beside her, and he gave her an encouraging smile.

"It's all gonna be okay," he soothed. "Before you know it, this will all be over."

"Is this gonna make me better?"

Before Lucas could cut in with his usual optimism, Brooke cut him off. "We hope so, baby."

Lucas shot Brooke a look, which she returned with a challenging raised eyebrow. She knew Lucas and the way he would do anything to make Chance feel better; including lying and saying that she would be one hundred percent better when she woke up. Brooke knew this wasn't true, seeing as she was facing the same operation herself in just one week's time, and she didn't want to give the all ready fragile little girl any kind of false hope.

"Okay you two," Dr. Grant said as he entered the room. "You ready?"

Lucas nodded while Chance squared her little shoulders with a determined glint in her eyes. "I was born ready."

Brooke giggled and dropped a kiss to her forehead. "That's my girl."

"It's gonna be like sleeping, right?" Chance asked nervously. Brooke nodded and squeezed her small hand with an encouraging grin.

"You won't feel a thing, Chance."

"Promise?"

"Promise," Brooke said softly. "And I'll be waiting right here when you wake up, okay?"

"Okay," Chance agreed. She looked up at Dr. Grant. "Let's get this show on the road!" 

Lucas laughed and laid back as nurses began to push he and Chance toward the operating room. Brooke gave him a kiss, placing a hand on his cheek.

"You're an amazing guy, Lucas Scott."

"And you're an amazing girl, Brooke soon-to-be-Scott."

She blushed faintly and kissed him again when she was interrupted by Chance's small voice.

"Are you getting married?" she shrieked.

"Yes," Brooke replied, chuckling. "We are. And we need to get you better fast because you're going to be the flower girl, princess."

Chance's smile was so radiant that Brooke was nearly taken aback. It suddenly occurred to her how much her and Lucas's happiness really meant to the small brunette. In the absence of her parents, Brooke and Lucas had somehow become the parental figures in her life. Charlotte, for all of her good qualities, was simply too detached from Chance, which Brooke understood. Unlike her own mother, Charlotte still made sure that Chance realized she cared. She had been there earlier, but had to meet Mrs. Heatherly for lunch to discuss Chance's possible recovery.

"Bye, guys!" Brooke called after the stretchers as they were wheeled away from her.

She could see Lucas's larger hand and Chance's tiny one both raise up in acknowledgement before Chance's little hand reached out to hold Lucas's large one. Without warning, Brooke's heart swelled and constricted in her chest, causing tears to flood her eyes. It was a precious, unforgettable sight, their two hands interlocked as they disappeared into the operating room, where hopefully, Lucas would be able to give Chance another shot at her childhood.

When Brooke entered the waiting room, Peyton was waiting for her with open arms.

"Jake, Haley, and Nathan are coming by as soon as they can," the blonde said as she hugged Brooke. "But I thought you could use a friend."

"Thanks, P. Sawyer," Brooke said with a watery smile. "You thought right. I know that Lucas will be fine, it's really just an outpatient procedure on his end, but Chance…she's so small…"

"Small but mighty," Peyton said, nudging her with her shoulder as the girls sat down. "A lot like someone else I know."

Brooke smiled gratefully. "You always make everything better for me."

"I try," Peyton said wryly. "Ya know, when I'm not ruining your life on my off days."

Brooke giggled, glad that the two could joke about their tumultuous history. "Did you ever think we'd be here?"

"God no," Peyton laughed. "Haley and Nathan married with a baby on the way? You and Lucas engaged? Us waiting for him to donate bone marrow to a dying little girl? You shaving all your hair off for said little girl? Jake moving back to Tree Hill? If someone had told me all this even two months ago I wouldn't have believed them."

"I wouldn't have, either," Brooke agreed. "But somehow, this has all been a beautiful, crazy ride, ya know? Even with all the fear and the drama and the problems…I feel closer to all of you than I ever have before."

"I know what you mean," Peyton agreed. "Let's just hope it doesn't take cancer to bring us all closer next time, huh?"

"Agreed," Brooke laughed, leaning her head on her best friend's shoulder and beginning the wait.

Lucas was out in about an hour, but he was still asleep as the two girls sat beside him. They were soon joined by Haley and Nathan, Jake following close behind.

"Hey pretty girl," he said groggily as he opened his eyes. "How's Chance?"

"She's not out yet," Brooke said softly, gently tilting water into his mouth. "She should be out in another hour or so."

"How are you feeling?" Nathan asked.

"Good," Lucas crooned. "Like water."

Brooke giggled. "Really, Broody? Like water?"

"Sh," he hushed, leaning back with his eyes shut. "The movie is starting."

"What the hell did they give him?" Peyton laughed, tucked under Jake's arm. "He is way out of it."

Brooke's brow crinkled with worry. "Do you think he's okay? Did something go wrong?"

"No, Brooke," Jake said assuringly. "It's just from the anesthesia, I'm sure he's just fine."

"Okay," Brooke sighed, "good."

The five friends continued to sit around Lucas's bed as he talked nonsense, occasionally making things uncomfortable. 

"Peyton!" he slurred at one point. "Remember that time that you and I almost had sex? That was funny."

"Yeah, Luke," Peyton drawled. "Funny."

Jake had shifted, removing his arm from her shoulder and reaching out with his other hand to rub Brooke's leg comfortingly. Peyton's shoulders drooped, obviously upset, and Lucas pouted.

"Get your hand off my girlfriend."

"Shut up, Luke," Brooke snapped, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair. She stood suddenly. "I'm going to check on Chance."

"What's her problem?" Lucas asked the group.

Haley pegged him with a stare. "You'll figure it out when you come down off the meds, bud."

He closed his eyes and began to drift off into sleep before being startled to consciousness by a sobbing Brooke, who was being led by a panicked looking Dr. Grant.

"Something went wrong with Chance's surgery," he explained to the group. "It appears that our anesthesiologist made a mistake."

"A mistake?" Peyton snapped, standing up to put an arm around Brooke. "What kind of mistake?"

Dr. Grant sighed, obviously stressed and even upset. "He gave both Chance and Lucas too much anesthesia. Lucas was able to handle it better, obviously. But Chance, with her size and her immune system-"

"She might not wake up," Brooke sobbed.

Suddenly Lucas couldn't feel the drugs anymore. All of the numbness he had been feeling was suddenly overwhelmed by an unbearable pain at the thought of Chance not surviving. He had resigned himself to her maybe dying of cancer; he had never thought that this procedure would actually kill her.

"How the hell do you overdose a five year old?" Jake growled. As a father, he was perplexed and furious. "Is he not a pediatric doctor?"

"He is," Dr. Grant explained calmly. "However, he seems to have come into work…inebriated."

"So some drunk asshole's mistake could cost Chance her life?" Lucas burst out.

Brooke began to sob harder and Lucas took in a deep, shaky breath to calm himself down. He didn't want to upset the fragile brunette any further.

"You better not even think about letting that guy anywhere near Brooke next week," Lucas growled.

"I assure you that he will no longer be working in the medical field," Dr. Grant assured, bidding them goodbye and leaving.

All that was left to do was wait, and while Haley, Nathan, Peyton, and Jake all left to get some rest, Brooke and Lucas stayed despite him having been discharged and advised to go home and rest. They sat in the waiting room with baited breath, waiting for news on the little girl who had become like their own.

**Well here it is! I hope you enjoyed! I should be getting in a few more updates very soon as well! In the next few chapters: **

**-News on Chance**

**-Brooke's surgery**

**-The Brucas wedding! **


	33. Chapter 33

The next day, Brooke was in the hospital waiting room bright and early, accompanied once again by Peyton. She had insisted that Lucas rest and that Haley, Nathan, and Jake attend school. She had tried to force her blonde best friend to as well, but Peyton had shrugged her off.

"If things were normal, we'd probably be ditching to go on the boat anyway," Peyton reasoned. "So you can cut the crap, Davis. I'm sitting with you all damn day if I have to."

Brooke had smiled gratefully and put her head on Peyton's shoulder. The two girls remained in contemplative silence for half an hour before Brooke suddenly broke it.

"Peyton, yesterday, when Luke brought up junior year-"

Peyton groaned. "Brooke, that's ancient history."

"But it isn't," Brooke said, her voice somewhat defeated. "It was only a year ago."

Peyton heaved a sigh, realizing that Brooke was right. "I guess you're right. We really swept it under the rug, didn't we?"

"At least we tried," Brooke shrugged. "But Lucas brought it up yesterday and it all came back out for me. I've been trying not to think about it, with all this Chance stuff, but I can't help it."

Peyton took a deep breath. "Is there anything you want to know about it? Anything that unsettles you still?"

"I just don't know what happened," Brooke said after a moment. "The only thing I saw was on that webcam, and that was technically after we had broken up. I was able to put together the pieces but I didn't know the real story."

Peyton bit her lip nervously before answering. "Well, before you two started dating, he and I hooked up at that basketball banquet. He asked me to be with him and I turned him down, as you know. That day that we went to check on my dad, emotions were running really high. I'm still not sure how it happened, but we started kissing. When things escalated, his necklace got stuck in my hair and all of a sudden, he whispered your name. I was confused and he said that you had given him that necklace."

Brooke suddenly felt sick. He still wore that necklace. She made a mental note to demand that he remove it immediately. "Then what?"

"He said we should get going, and we did. We went back to you, and I felt horrible. But somehow, he kissed me again in the library one day."

"And you two had feelings for each other," Brooke whispered. "That's why he broke up with me after the accident. Why you went rushing out of the door when you heard-"

"Yeah," Peyton said gently. "But Brooke, it was so stupid. We didn't have real feelings for each other, not really. We both took what we had for granted."

Brooke took a deep breath and put on a brave face, but Peyton could see how broken her hazel eyes suddenly looked. Her phone started to ring and as she looked at it, her eyes darkened further, causing Peyton to wince.

"Hey," Brooke answered, her voice betraying her as it cracked. "No, no news yet. Peyton's here. I'll see you later. Yeah, you too. Bye."

"Brooke-"

"I'm fine, P. Sawyer," Brooke said with a crooked grin. "I shouldn't have asked."

"I shouldn't have done it," Peyton lamented. "It was a horrible, awful thing to do, Brooke, and I don't know how you forgave us both."

"To be honest, neither do I," Brooke said bluntly with a small shrug. "Maybe I don't, not really. Maybe I'll hold onto it forever. When I see you two together, I still feel cold. When you talk to his mom, when he looks at you, when you two talk about things that I'll never understand-"

"I'm so sorry," Peyton whispered. Her heart was squeezing in her chest uncomfortably, a feeling she had come to know quite often as guilt. "I was a horrible friend to you, but I'm trying to be better."

"You have been," Brooke said encouragingly. "But to be honest, I don't think I'll ever forget what happened. I'll always be insecure."

"I understand that."

"And part of me will probably always resent you," Brooke said sadly. "I don't want to, but I do. And the more I ignore it, the worse it gets."

Peyton swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded, standing quickly as Dr. Grant approached.

"Well, it looks like we're in luck," he said with a smile. "Chance's brain waves are now responsive. She's still not awake, but it looks like she should come out of this okay. If you'd like to go sit with her, you can."

"Thank you so much," Brooke said, and Peyton was unsure if the tears streaming down her face were from their conversation or from relief. The topic was dropped as Peyton struggled to keep up with Brooke's rushing steps.

When she entered the room, Brooke immediately went to the chair beside Chance's bed, holding her small hand and running a hand over her small bald head. Peyton sat at the foot of the bed, watching the scene unfold and marveling in the true care that Brooke had for the little girl who had no real relation to her.

A cold cough interrupted the moment, causing both girls to turn around. A woman who looked remarkably like Victoria was standing in the doorway, with perfectly coiffed dark hair and a designer day dress on.

"Excuse me, who are you?"

"I'm Brooke Davis," Brooke said defiantly. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Chance's mother," the woman said coolly. "And I think you're leaving."

Brooke scoffed and Peyton couldn't help but chuckle a bit under her breath. "Oh, this should be good."

"Her mother? You have a lot of nerve, calling yourself that."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean," Mrs. Heatherly said haughtily.

"I think you know exactly what I mean," Brooke hissed. "You have done nothing for your daughter other than pay her medical bills. She has been struggling, dying, and you haven't had the time to just take her to a movie. I'm the one who took her wig shopping. I cut off my own hair so that she could feel pretty. She is five years old, and she deserves to feel loved. You think you can waltz in here and call yourself her mother? You can't. You are disgusting."

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to call security," Mrs. Heatherly sniffed, ignoring everything Brooke had just said.

"Go for it," Brooke shrugged. "Every guard in this hospital knows me by first name. Not only am I a patient, but my boyfriend and I spend nearly all of our time with your daughter, and you don't even know who I am!"

"Yes, well, I certainly never would have approved of her associating with the likes of you. You're trailer trash."

"I am a _Davis," _Brooke hissed. Mrs. Heatherly flinched and Brooke smirked. It reminded Peyton powerfully of the first time she had ever seen Brooke use that phrase, against their third grade teacher who had threatened to send her to the principal's office. That sentence held a lot of weight in Tree Hill. "If I recall, you're not even a member of the country club, are you? Oh right, you aren't. You don't even live west of Fourth. I would think before you call someone trailer trash, you never know who they might be."

Mrs. Heatherly took in a shaky breath. Peyton wasn't even bothering to hide her grin anymore as she leaned back, enjoying the show.

"If I were you, I would turn around and walk out of here. I would go get your daughter a nice little present, and cancel every single thing you have planned for the next thirteen years, because your daughter needs you," Brooke said, stepping in to the woman's face and staring her in the eyes. "And if you can't do that, I will. And I will be sure to call Social Services and let them know that you are a negligent, incompetent parent to this sick little girl."

"She has wanted for nothing," Mrs. Heatherly finally argued back. "I have done nothing but give her what she needs."

"What she needs?" Brooke asked incredulously. "What she needs is a mother who loves her! To hold her after chemo! To tell her that everything is going to be okay even if it might not be. She needs someone to put on a brave face for her and tell her that they will do anything to make sure she's okay. And for the last six months, that person has been me. I will continue to be that person, and nothing you can say or do will stop me. So make your choice, Mrs. Heatherly. Either shape up or lose your daughter."

Mrs. Heatherly stared at the young woman before turning on her heel and storming out of the room without a second glance at her daughter. Brooke remained standing, huffing and glaring with her hands on her hips. Peyton slowly began to clap.

'That was an impressive performance," Peyton cheered. "Oscar worthy, for sure."

Brooke shot her a look. "I hate that woman."

"You do realize there's no way Social Services would ever take Chance away from her mom though, right?" Peyton said tentatively.

"Of course," Brooke said, waving her off. "Do you have any idea how many times I called them on my own parents? I was fed, clothed, and kept relatively healthy. Happiness isn't really part of the equation."

Peyton reached out to squeeze Brooke's hand. "Well, you always have us. Just like Chance does."

"She'll never be without family, that's for sure," Brooke said, looking down at the little girl with a tender smile. "We're crazy and dysfunctional, but we're one of the best families you could ever ask for."

"You bet we are," Peyton agreed.

"Brooke?" a little voice croaked.

"Oh, sweetie!" Brooke exclaimed, kissing her on the forehead excitedly. "I'm so glad you're awake. Peyt, go get Dr. Grant."

"Hi Peyt," Chance croaked.

"Hi gorgeous," Peyton replied. "I'll be right back."

"Where's Lucas?" Chance asked.

"He's at home resting, he had surgery yesterday, too," Brooke teased.

"Did it work?" Chance asked sweetly.

"We don't know yet, Little Bit," Brooke said. "We'll know in the next few weeks."

"Okay," Chance said, rubbing her eyes. "I'm sleepy."

"You've been asleep for almost two whole days," Brooke teased. "You're a regular Sleeping Beauty!"

Dr. Grant entered the room and asked Brooke to step outside while he ran some tests. The brunette stepped into the hallway, shooting Peyton a grateful smile as she dialed Lucas.

"Hey Luke," she said. "Chance woke up!"

"That's great!" he exclaimed over the line. "Is something wrong, babe?"

She swallowed hard, glad he couldn't see her face fall over the phone. "Everything's fine, really."

"You don't seem right," Lucas said cautiously. "Did I do something to upset you?"

"No," Brooke lied. "Nothing at all."

"If you're sure," he said slowly. "I'm gonna ask Nathan to drive me to the hospital to visit Chance after he gets out of school."

"If you're sure you're up to it," Brooke said softly. "See you soon."

"I love you, Brooke," he said quickly. He waited, thinking she had hung up.

"Yeah, you too. Bye."

Lucas sat in the bed he had been sharing with Brooke at her house, staring down at his phone with shock. What had just gone wrong?

Hours later, he arrived at the hospital on his crutches with Nathan in tow.

"Hey baby girl!" Lucas exclaimed, offering her a pastel pink teddy bear. She squeeze it excitedly and reached up her arms to hug him.

"Thank you Lucas!" she squealed. "And thank you for your bones, too."

Lucas laughed at her misunderstanding and grinned at her. "You're very welcome, princess."

"I'm gonna go get some coffee," Brooke said suddenly, standing from where she had been silently seated. Nathan raised his eyebrows at Lucas, who nodded at him before telling Chance he would be right back and hobbling after her.

"So," Chance said, crossing her arms over her small chest. "I hear you're going to be a dad."

"You've heard right," Nathan chuckled.

"Here are some things you have to know," she said sternly, waving a finger at him. "First of all, brussel sprouts are gross. They're old people vegetables and no one should ever have to eat them."

"I'll keep that in mind," Nathan said, holding back laughter as he nodded. "Go on."

"Second, make sure you eat dinner with them every night and you're always home to tuck them in when it's time for bed. That's real important."

Nathan felt his heart twist at the obvious absence of her parents in her life, but nodded anyway for her to continue.

"And third, make sure they have awesome older people like you and Haley and Lucas and Brooke and Peyton and Jake so that they never feel lonely and they always feel like they have friends and family and parents."

"Of course," Nathan smiled, squeezing her little hand. "My son's going to have all of those people in his life. And you know who else he's going to have?"

"Who?" Chance asked, and she looked almost jealous. He smiled, tapping her on the nose.

"You, Missy! He'll have his Auntie Chance to show him how the world works."

"I get to be his auntie?" she asked excitedly.

"Of course you do," Nathan said with a smile. "We all love you, kid. You're our family."

Nathan had never seen a smile so wide on such a small face, and it filled his heart up to see it. Meanwhile, Lucas was struggling to keep up with Brooke. When he finally caught up to her, she was cursing at the coffee machine, having obviously burned herself.

"Brooke, please, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she hissed, sucking on her burned hand. "I'm just fucking fine."

"You're obviously not!"

Her eyes narrowed in on his neck and they narrowed accusingly, darkening with pain.

"Take off that stupid necklace," she hissed.

"What?" he yelped. "Brooke, you gave this to me, I love this necklace. You know I never take it off."

"Yeah, unfortunately for you," Brooke spat. "Really cock blocked you with Peyton."

Lucas's face fell. "Brooke, I am so sorry, but that was over a year ago."

"It hurts just the same," she whispered, and he felt his heart break just like it had the first time she had said those words to him.

"Brooke, I love you," he choked out. "I love you so, so much. And I was such an idiot. I hate myself so much for what I did, you have to know that. Sometimes I can't even look myself in the eye in the mirror if I think about it for too long, because I hurt the most beautiful, amazing, truly wonderful woman. But I am never going to make that mistake again, I promise you that. I need you to keep trusting me, Brooke. I know it's been hard for you, and Nathan told me what I said yesterday-"

"Yeah. That sucked."

"I'm sure it did," Lucas agreed urgently. "But you have to understand, I never would have brought that up in a right state of mine. That's completely unfair to you, to even mention it. I'm really trying my best, and I really hope you can keep trying to trust me even if you know more details than you did back then."

Brooke took a deep breath and nodded, giving him a gentle kiss. "Thank you, Lucas."

"For what?" he asked , his eyes still shut from the kiss.

"For fighting for me this time around," she shrugged. "It hasn't gone unnoticed."

"Anything for you," he grinned. She smiled back and nodded her head down the hall.

"Now come on, Wobbly, let's get back to our girl."

**I cranked this one out for you guys pretty fast! I know I kept you all waiting for such a long time, and the story is almost coming to a close! I promise I have SO many more great Brucas ideas, all of which are AU of course. I really hope you'll read anything else I do in the future, and I'm so happy so many have you have stuck with me on this! **


	34. Chapter 34

**Here we go, approaching the end! Hopefully all of this will be done either today or in the next few days! **

"So, Brooke, you ready for our big day tomorrow?" Jake asked as the two lounged in her living room.

"You bet I am," she smirked. "I was born ready."

Jake laughed. "I knew you had to have been the one who taught Chance that!"

"I teach her everything worth knowing," Brooke bragged with a cute shrug. Jake shook his head, amused with her antics.

"So how's the wedding planning coming along?" he asked.

"It's okay," Brooke shrugged. "He wants to drop everything and just get it over with, but I insisted we wait until after my surgery."

Jake nodded in understanding. "So it'll be soon then?"

"Yeah," Brooke smiled. "I never thought I would accept a proposal that didn't involve a ring."

"I never thought that I'd be nearly engaged twice only to have it fall through," Jake laughed. Brooke's face turned sympathetic.

"I'm really sorry about all of that drama, Jake."

Jake shrugged her off. "Brooke, none of that was your fault. It was our crazy blondes that did it, not you."

"That's very true," she agreed. "I am very rarely at fault for anything."

"Now that I'm not so sure about," he teased. He stood as the front door opened, revealing Nathan. "That's my cue to go pick up my daughter from his wife. I'll see you tomorrow, Bookie."

"See you," she smiled, standing up to hug him goodbye. She kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Jake. This really means the world to me."

"Hey, don't mention it," he smiled. "There's no need for thank you's."

She smiled as he walked out of the door before turning to Nathan with a smile. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Hot Shot?"

"I just wanted to spend some time with my best friend," Nathan shrugged, dragging her back down to the couch and flicking on the TV. "I haven't had much time to spend with you, with the baby preparations and everything."

"Which I am so beyond excited about," Brooke squealed. "And did you hear that the transplant seems to be working for Chance?"

"I did," he beamed. "She's a great kid."

"I know," Brooke said proudly. "She's amazing."

"You've done a great thing for her, Brooke," Nathan said seriously. "She's lucky to have you."

"I'm lucky to have her," she smiled. "And so is your little boy. I would have made a horrible godmother before she came along."

"That's not entirely true!" Nathan protested.

"Entirely?" she asked with a kinked eyebrow.

"You did sing Britney Spears to Haley's stomach."

"Which was a fabulous idea!" Brooke defended, swatting at his arm. He laughed, tickling her and pushing her backwards, her giggles filling the room instantly.

"You will not infect my son with your horrible music!" Nathan exclaimed.

"Yes I will!" Brooke continued to cackle. "I will, I will, I will!"

"You will not!"

"Will too!"

"Will not!"

"Will too?" Haley laughed from the doorway. She hobbled in, smiling in amusement at her husband and best friend. "What are you two crazy kids doing?"

Brooke panted and sat up. "Your husband was torturing me!"

"She wants our boy to like Britney Spears!" Nathan said defensively. Haley looked throughtful before grinning.

"Decision in favor of the prosecution."

Both brunettes stared at her, tilting their heads to the right. Haley burst out laughing.

"You two look like a couple of puppies!"

"I'll take that as a compliment," Brooke shrugged, standing and gently pushing Haley onto the couch beside Nathan. "Rest, Tutor Mom! Let me grab you something to drink!"

"Says the girl having a bone marrow transplant tomorrow!" Haley called after her.

"Yeah, yeah, it's whatever!" Brooke shouted back, causing Haley to roll her eyes as Brooke's cavalier behavior.

"You're ridiculous."

"I'm magnificent," Brooke corrected, handing her a Sprite.

"What about me?" Nathan pouted.

"You carry a bowling ball in your man business and I'll get you a drink," Brooke giggled, causing him to crinkle his face in apparent discomfort, much to the amusement of Haley. "Where's Lucas? It's almost dark, he always comes home before dark."

"I think he said he was swinging by his mom's," Haley said, opening her soda. "He needed to grab something from her apparently."

"Yeah, that's what it was," Nathan repeated pointlessly. His phone vibrated and he suddenly stood. "Let's go."

"To where exactly?" Brooke asked, confused.

"Oh, uh, right. To Karen's Café. I'm hungry."

"Okay," Brooke said slowly. "I'm just going to get changed."

"No time for that!" Haley protested, struggling to get on her feet as she ushered Brooke out of the door. "You look great."

Brooke stared down at her white sundress and gold flip flops before shrugging. She looked fine enough. And besides, her friends were acting ridiculous.

When they arrived at the café, Nathan suddenly put a bandana around her eyes.

'What the hell are you doing?" she yelped.

"Just wait," he chastised. "Patience is a virtue."

Brooke mumbled several threats under her breath as he led her clumsily up the staircase, Haley remaining behind. When she got to the top, she heard the door to the stairwell close and she could no longer feel Nathan's hand on her arm.

"Nathan?" she called out. When she received no response, she huffed, tearing the blindfold away. In front of her was a poster that read "Look down". Brooke scrunched her brow, confused, before looked down onto the street. She gasped, seeing the words "Will you marry me?" spelled out in twinkling lights.

"Brooke Davis," Lucas's gentle voice came from behind her. She spun around, one hand to her mouth. He slowly lowered himself onto one knee. "You once asked me how many moments I've had that I could point to and say that's where it all change. Well, that moment was one of them, because you became part of my life, and everything did change. Another one was when you agreed to be my friend. Yet another was when you decided to be nonexclusive with me, and the best one was when you told me you loved me in my driveway. The worst was when I found out you had cancer. But the most amazing, most life changing moment for me was when you agreed to become Brooke Davis Scott. I've lost track of how many embarrassing speeches I've given, but I know that they've all been with you. I love you, Brooke, and I want us to be together forever. Will you marry me?"

Tears were flowing down her face as she leapt into his arms, kissing him fully on the mouth. He slipped a gorgeous ring onto her finger, and she gasped.

"This is-"

"My mom's ring," Lucas finished with a smile. "She wanted you to have it."

"It's so beautiful," she sniffled.

"Like you," he smiled, kissing her again. He suddenly grinned, giving a thumbs up to the corner. She giggled as she saw Jake standing there with a video camera.

"I got it all!" Jake shouted. "Well done, my friend!"

Brooke laughed, wrapping her arms around Lucas's waist and following him downstairs to have a celebratory dinner with their friends. She was surprised to see Chance there, who immediately parked herself on Lucas's lap and started chatting their ears off.

"I told him to do lights instead of candles," she said pointedly. "I told him the wind would blow them out."

"Smart girl," Brooke said, tweaking her nose. She looked over and beamed at Lucas, so glad to have had a real proposal before she would be marrying him in just three weeks. She let out a sigh as she realized that she was getting married at eighteen, but something about it didn't bother her as she met Lucas's deep blue eyes. They would make it, she was sure.

**Box Up All The Butterflies **

Lucas was pacing back and forth the next morning, causing Haley to finally slam her palm down on the arm of her chair.

"Cut it out!" she exclaimed. "You're making me dizzy!"

"Brooke's going to be just fine," Nathan soothed. "Jake is all ready out."

"Yeah but she isn't," Lucas snapped.

Peyton appeared suddenly, rolling her eyes. "She is, actually. They're just doing some post-op stuff but then we can go see her. They just wheeled her in to Jake's room and told me to come out here and let you all know."

Lucas immediately strode in the direction she had just come, barking questions.

"Did the doctor say anything about how it went? Were there any complications? How did she look?"

"I didn't see her," Peyton said. "He didn't say anything."

"No news is good news," Lucas sighed. He paused. "Right?"

"I'm sure it's all fine!" Haley exclaimed, waddling behind him.

"Really, man, I'm sure she's good," Nathan insisted.

When they reached the room, she was still asleep, her brown hair fanned out around her.

"Hello you four," Dr. Grant greeted. "Brooke's surgery went off without a hitch, as did Jake's. She'll be awake within the hour. She's going to need a week of bed rest, at least, and we'll be monitoring her very closely."

Lucas nodded. "She'll be staying here?"

"Absolutely," Dr. Grant nodded. "And of course, you'll be staying with her?"

Lucas nodded again, and Dr. Grant smiled. "She didn't want to take that ring off of her finger."

Lucas beamed proudly, much to the amusement of his friends. "Where is it?"

"On top of her clothes over there," Dr. Grant said, nodding toward a pile of Brooke's personal belongings. "I'll leave you guys alone now. Congratulations, Lucas."

"Thank you," he replied, walking over and placing the ring gently on Brooke's finger, kissing her hand softly. The friends made a circle around the two beds, Peyton crawling into bed beside Jake and laying her head on his chest.

"You saved her life," Peyton whispered tenderly into his neck, arms wrapped softly around him.

"Hopefully," Jake said cautiously.

"You did," Haley insisted from her chair between the beds. "I'm sure of it."

Lucas, however, wasn't listening. He was transfixed by the glistening ring on Brooke's finger and what it meant. They really had forever now. And he had never felt better about it.


	35. Chapter 35

Before anyone knew it, it was the day of Brooke and Lucas's wedding. To everyone's surprise, Brooke had insisted on a small affair and had spent most of her downtime after the surgery working on both the bridesmaids dresses as well as her own dress.

"This is so exciting!" Chance squealed, bouncing up and down as she watched Karen finish up Brooke's makeup.

Haley smiled at her, pulling her to her side. "It is, but you've gotta stop with the bouncing! I'll have to call you Tigger Two!"

Chance giggled and put her hand on Haley's stomach. "You hear that, baby? Your mom is funny!"

"All done," Karen said proudly, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. "You look so beautiful, Brooke!"

Brooke took in a deep breath, turning slowly to take herself in in her reflection. It was everything she had dreamed of. Her hair, or wig rather, was down in flowing curls, her makeup neutral. Her dress was a fitted sheath of white lace, with a neckline that perfectly embraced the curve of her chest and showed off just enough to be sexy while remaining sophisticated. The small buttons all the way down the back added to the beautiful effect, as did the low swoop of the fabric, revealing her porcelain skin.

"I can't believe this is happening," she gasped.

"Neither can I," Peyton beamed, wrapping Brooke in her arms from behind. "We're all eighteen years old with rings on our fingers."

Karen laughed, kissing all the girls on the cheek before going to visit her son.

"Let's see that rock again," Haley insisted, holding up Peyton's hand.

"It was my mom's," Peyton grinned. "I have no idea how he found it."

"That's what we were doing at the antique store!" Brooke exclaimed. "I spotted it and couldn't believe it, we lost it so long ago."

"You two would lose a precious engagement ring," Haley joked. The girls shared a shrug, knowing it was true.

Jake had proposed two nights before after taking Peyton on a beautiful boat ride at sunset. She had called Brooke nearly weeping with joy, and the brunette had grinned knowingly from her own bedroom. She had been waiting for that moment for so long.

"God, Brooke, we're really sisters now," Haley said, beginning to cry.

"Don't ruin my wedding makeup, you bitch!" Brooke teased, tearing up herself and embracing her friend.

"You owe me a quarter!" Chance said triumphantly.

Brooke smiled softly at the little girl. "You bet I do."

"You don't have to on your wedding, but next time," Chance warned.

"I'll keep that in mind," Brooke said.

"It's time," a voice said from outside the door. Jake poked his head in, sharing a besotted look with Peyton before his eyes widened at the sight of Brooke.

"Damn, Davis, you clean up nice."

"Well thanks," she said with an eyeroll. She took another deep breath. "This is happening."

"I told you you should have warn Nike's under that thing," Peyton joked.

Brooke laughed, grabbing Chance's hand and leading her out of the room.

"Let's do this, guys."

Twenty minutes later, Brooke was standing at the aisle, which was outside on the Rivercourt. They had transformed it into a beautiful place for a wedding, surrounded with white lilies and roses. The boys had even taken the hoops down.

Brooke tightened her grip on Nathan's arm, who was walking her down the aisle.

"You ready, gorgeous?" he asked.

"More than ready," Brooke smiled. "Thank you for doing this, Nathan."

"Of course," he insisted. "You're like a sister to me, Brooke. I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Now I will be your sister," she smirked. He smiled at her and lead her out onto the aisle. He watched Lucas's face be overcome with an emotion that he couldn't place. His eyes were bright, and Nathan could swear that he looked near tears. His smile was radiant in a way that Nathan had never seen, and he couldn't help but wonder if that's how he looked at his wedding. He glanced over at his wife as he handed Brooke off to Lucas and realized that it must have been.

The ceremony was short and simple, due to the spring heat, and the reception was held in a massive tent.

"We're really married," Lucas grinned, holding her close to him for their first dance. She nuzzled deeper into his neck.

"We really are."

"I can finally call you Brooke Scott."

"You've been calling me that for months."

"Yeah, but now it's legally binding."

Brooke giggled and kissed him, basking in the happiness of the moment.

During their meal, Peyton suddenly stood from the head table and clinked her glass with her knife.

"Hi everyone," Peyton said with an awkward smile. "We're doing this a little unconventionally. We're all going to make speeches. I know, I know, long and boring. But there's no best man or maid of honor, so we're all doing one. Bear with me." She took a deep breath and continued, turning to smile at Brooke. "Brooke became my best friend in kindergarten. For the last thirteen years, she's been my fiercest protector, my partner in crime, and my biggest fear. It would be anyone's biggest fear to lose someone as wonderful as Brooke. When we met Lucas as juniors, the chemistry between them was obvious. There were some people stupid enough to try to come between them, myself included. They were so in love but had no idea what to do about it, but finally, they came together for real, and I've never seen anything more beautiful. IN the last six months, I've seen them overcome obstacles that most forty year olds wouldn't be able to defeat. I'm so proud of both of them, and I am so fortunate to have a beautiful, amazing best friend like Brooke. Lucas is a lucky, lucky man, and I'm sure he knows it."

Haley was next, picking up the microphone with a grin. "If someone had told me even two years ago that Lucas Scott would be marrying Brooke Davis, I would have punched them in the face. Truth is, I didn't like Brooke. She was pretty, popular, rich; she was everything I wasn't. When Lucas started dating her, I was so puzzled. But then, I got to see the real her. The bits of her that she hid behind flashy clothes and loud giggles. And I realized that Brooke Davis is the kind of person we should all aspire to be. Lucas has been my best friend since we were kids, a lot like Brooke and Peyton. He is a deeply talented, kind, caring, compassionate human being, who I have been so lucky to have been blessed enough to know. I know that these two are going to be together forever. Opposites really do attract, and I can't think of a better couple than Brooke and Lucas."

"Other than me and my lovely wife over there," Nathan smirked as he stood, causing the guests to laugh. "I've known Brooke since preschool. I met her when she decided we were going to break out of the country club day care center, and when I told her we couldn't do that, she looked at me and said, 'I'm Brooke Davis. I do whatever I want.' From then on, I followed her lead. She's led me to some crazy places, but she's also led me to some of the best. She set up my first date with my wife. Her dating my half brother helped bring us together. She's an amazing, unique girl. And Lucas. Luke, my older brother. We hated each other so much, but like Haley with Brooke, I hated him for being what I would never be. I was immature and arrogant, and he was worldly and good. Luckily for me, he had an amazing best friend who changed me, and even luckier for me, I got to know him because of it. He's truly my family now, and I couldn't be happier to welcome Brooke into the family officially as well."

"Well going last sucks," Jake joked. "Brooke and I bonded a lot in the last year. I was away, and she called every single week to check on me simply because I was crazy in love with her best friend and she knew that. She's that kind of person. She'll go out of her way to make things happen for the people she loves. Lucas does the same for her. He would move mountains if it meant making Brooke happy and keeping her safe. I've seen him do it. Their love is beautiful, inspiring, and truly one in a million. To Brooke and Lucas."

By the end of the speeches, Brooke was openly crying, Lucas teasing her mercilessly. The party went off beautifully and without a hitch, and Brooke and Lucas rode off in his muscle car toward the gorgeous beach house they had rented for their honeymoon.

Lucas Scott had known months ago that he had messed up, but it turned out to be repairable. As he lay beside his wife (it was going to take a while to get used to saying that), he thought back on the last six months. The chemo, the surgery, the drama. Between Derek, and the problems with Peyton, and Haley's pregnancy, it had all been insane and chaotic. He thought of Chance and the light she had brought to their lives, how she had really given Brooke something to fight for even when everything else was falling apart.

He kissed the brunette on the top of the head with a content, sleepy smile, closing his own eyes.

"I love you, Brooke Penelope Davis-Scott."

She mumbled in her sleep, stirring ever so slightly, and he grinned. This was yet another moment; everything had just changed.

**That's the last chapter, my friends! Next up is an epilogue. I want to thank all of you for sticking with me to the very end. This is the longest thing I've ever written, and while it's disjointed and crazy, I've received nothing but warm support. I appreciate each and every review SO much, and I hope you continue to read anything else I might write in the future. Thanks again! **


	36. Epilogue

"Mom! Dad!" Chance called out. "He's doing it _again!" _

Lucas laughed, coming outside to rescue his eleven year old. His eight month old son was gnawing pathetically at her ankle like a puppy, and the brunette girl was dragging him along with an exasperated expression.

Peyton had been wrong; Social Services had stepped in after Chance's botched surgery, and when it was proven that Mrs. Heatherly had done nothing to accomadate her daughter's illness in her own home, she had been placed in foster care. Charlotte had immediately taken her for legality purposes, but Chance spent most of her time with Brooke and Lucas. When Chance turned eight, the two legally adopted her. No one had seen Mrs. Heatherly since the court hearing in which she had been declared an unfit mother. The woman had seemed more ashamed of ruining her reputation than anything else, and hadn't shed a tear, much to Brooke's disgust.

"Come here, buddy," he laughed, prying Davis off of Chance's leg. "Sorry, sweetie. You know he's cutting teeth."

"But he slobbers on me! And he shouldn't bite!"

"He doesn't mean any harm," Brooke said, swatting the pre-teen with her dish towel, two year old Jude propped on her hip. "Help me carry the appetizers out here, would ya?"

"Hey family!" Haley's happy voice announced as she came through the backyard fence, holding the hand of a six year old boy, who immediately went sprinting after Chance. "Fine, fine, go see your girlfriend then!"

Brooke smiled, cooing at the two year old in Haley's arms. "Hello Lydia! Who's the prettiest girl?"

Nathan beamed, putting his arm around his wife. "Found her."

Brooke stuck out her tongue. "Ugh, six years later and you're still a total cheese ball."

"But with a championship ring," he declared with pride.

"Jesus!" Brooke gasped. 'That thing is huge!"

"That's what she said," drawled Peyton, patting Jenny on the back to let her know she could go find the other kids. She held a car seat in one arm and a toddler's hand in the other.

"Hi Anna," Brooke smiled gently, lifting up the little mousy brunette. She immediately hid her face in her hands.

"Still shy I see."

"You have no idea," Jake complained.

"She'll grow out of it!" Haley insisted.

The monthly family barebeque commenced, and the six friends caught up while watching their children play in Brooke and Lucas's fairly large yard.

Two years in to college at UNC, Lucas had received a call from a publisher making an offer on the book he had written during his senior year. The bulk of it was about Brooke and her illness, with generous heapings of Chance, and the sentimental, moving story was an instant hit. He had written two more books since, which had all been successful as well.

Brooke happily ran a small boutique in town, selling her own designs. She hadn't attended college, having been short of graduation. While her friends were all enrolled as freshmen, she was still completing her independent study work as a high school senior.

Haley had become an elementary school teacher working with special needs children, and she found her job extremely fulfilling. It took up just enough time to distract her from her husband's frequent absences, but gave her enough free time to raise her children.

Nathan was drafted into the NBA, where he was wildly successful on the Charlotte Bobcats, leading them to a championship his first year. He loved his job, but resented the travelling, as it meant being away from his wife and children.

Peyton had opened her own record label, Red Bedroom Records. It was small but mighty, with all of its artists prospering with her guidance. She was proud of her studio above Tric, right across from Brooke's boutique. The two remained as close as ever, and just as close with Haley.

Jake had gone a completely unexpected direction and gone into social work. After his experiences with Nikki and watching the drama unfold between Brooke, Lucas, and Mrs. Heatherly, he had decided that that was where his passion was.

At twenty four years old, the six of them had done very well for themselves, with beautiful families and successful careers. Most importantly, though, they had stayed together.

"Excuse the mess," Brooke blushed as they sat in the living room later that night. "It's hard with the boys so young."

"Please, Brooke," Peyton scoffed. "We're family."

**Well there it is, guys! The very end of it all! Again, thanks for sticking with me, and I hope you're all satisfied with my happy, albeit unrealistic, ending **


End file.
